The Dating Game
by somethinprettty
Summary: AU after 2x22: I continued stroking her hair whilst staring at the moon from my bed. I fell asleep to the steady rhythm of Elena's heartbeat and I realized it had become my favourite melody.
1. Chapter 1

This is taken 4 months after the Sacrifice. Klaus and Elijah are nowhere to be found. Stefan and Elena broke up after Jenna's funeral so he left town with Katherine. Stefan found a cure for Damon's bite. Damon and Elena have gotten closer as friends.

A/N: Could be a one shot. I might continue if I get at least 15 reviews on this. PLEASE REVIEW!

"You know what you need?" I asked, sitting on her bed with Mr. Teddy in my lap.

"A time machine?" Elena asked, taking a seat beside me.

"I was thinking more along the lines of...wait for it...fun." This managed to get a small giggle out of her. She eyed me questioningly.

"What did you have in mind?" Elena asked.

"How about a date?" I suggested nonchalantly.

"A date?" she questioned.

"Yes Elena. A date...as friends of course" I quickly lied.

"Why?"

"Because you could use some romance and fun...plus Alaric's been in the dumps so I'm lacking a wingman to party..." I joked. She nudged my shoulder playfully and grabbed Mr. Teddy from my arms.

"Second choice, every girl's dream!" she said dramatically. My very first instinct was to tell her that she is always my first choice. And if there was a number above one, she'd be it.

"What can I say?" I said, playing along. Elena cocked one of her eyebrows and pursed her lips.

"It's a date!" she said. I got up and put on my leather jacket.

"I'll pick you up at 7?" I asked.

"Yeah...wait. Where are we going?"

"How about Mystic Falls Restaurant, down on eighth street?" I asked.

"Damon...that's the most expensive restaurant around for miles!" she squealed.

"You're worth every penny...and besides, if I have to compel some people to give me cheap prices, by all means..." I joked.

"How romantic..." she retorted, laughing. I rolled my eyes and walked out the door. 

I had been on hundreds of dates throughout my lifetime – literally. But never have I ever been this nervous to take a girl out. I must have tried on at least three different outfits before settling for my dark-wash jeans, a black dress shirt and a black jacket. I put on some cologne, ran a brush through my hair. I quickly went downstairs and had a blood bag then went and poured myself a glass of bourbon. I looked at the Grandfather clock beside the fireplace and saw that I'm supposed to pick Elena up in 10 minutes. I decided it's better to be early than late so I hopped in my car and headed over to the Gilbert residence.

"Hey Damon..." Jeremy said, opening the door. He'd taken the death of Jenna just as hard as Elena had, but Jeremy is much better at masking his pain. I stepped inside and Jeremy had already started making his way back to the couch. I closed the door behind me and took a seat beside him.

"Bonnie's here?" I asked, inhaling.

"So is Caroline. They're upstairs helping Elena get ready" Jeremy explained.

"Girls do everything in packs..." Tyler said emerging from the kitchen with a carton of orange juice attached to his mouth.

"Dan-dan-da-daaaaaaaaaa!" Caroline shouted, practically skipping down the stairs with a smile plastered on her face. Bonnie descended the stairs in a quieter way, but smiling just as big as Caroline. Caroline took a seat on Tyler's lap and Bonnie stood at the bottom of the stairs. I turned around just in time to see Elena coming down the stairs. If I had a heart, it would've skipped a beat.

Elena was wearing a royal blue dress that hugged her curves perfectly. It was tight around her torso, but it flowed like a skirt just above her knees. She was wearing silver heels and a silver bracelet. Her long brown hair was curled and tied in a messy bun. It wasn't until Bonnie pinched me that I realized my jaw was open. I quickly walked over to the end of the stairs and Elena smiled sheepishly at me.

"You look...beautiful" was all I could manage. Her cheeks turned a light shade of pink as she said thank you. After Caroline demanded that she get a picture of Jeremy and Elena together, we were out the door. Elena and I didn't speak on the way to the restaurant, but it was a comfortable silence.

Once we arrived to the restaurant, the valet took my car and parked it out back. I extended my arm and Elena looped hers through it. A gaze of awe never left Elena's face as we entered the restaurant and took our table – in the back corner. It was a very cozy, very dim lighted booth. Elena and I sat down and she looked around still taking in the environment.

"Order whatever you'd like, and do me a favour please: don't get something silly like a garden salad just because you're afraid that you'll look greedy..." I said, gesturing towards a menu. She giggled and grabbed the menu from my hands.

"Garden salads are for women who are worried about the first impression... You've seen me at my worst, I'll order something yummy and filling" she said, her eyes browsing the menu for the perfect meal.

"Yeah right. You're a girl. You'll order something light and inexpensive..." I retorted. Elena cocked her head to the side and pursed her lips.

"Are we ready to order?" said our waitress, Cheryl. Elena raised her eyebrow in a victorious and way closed her menu.

"I am. I'll have the Lobster with a garden salad on the side and some iced tea please" Elena said proudly, handing Cheryl her menu.

"I'll have the same" I said. Cheryl nodded and walked away. I turned my gaze to Elena, who was smiling to herself and shaking her head.

"What?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

"I get to see what Damon Salvatore is like on a date..." she said.

"I get to see what Elena Gilbert is like naked..." I joked

"Damon!" she blushed.

"I'm kidding!" I said, dodging her small fists. While waiting for our food, we talked. I felt like this was the first time I was meeting Elena. I've seen her angry, I've seen her sad, I've seen her scared and annoyed and flustered and embarrassed and on occasion, I've even seen her happy. And tonight, I got a glimpse of the Elena everyone else loved and adored before her parents died and her life started to crumble.

Elena and I made small talk once the food came, but we continued our conversation once we were finished. People started to make their way onto the dance floor and I contemplated what I was about to do before deciding. I slid out of the booth and Elena's eyes followed me questioningly. I held up a finger to her and walked over to the DJ booth. The DJ nodded at my request and spoke into his microphone.

"This next song is dedicated to Elena Gilbert..." I made my way back to the table and extended my hand out to her.

"Elena Gilbert...would you like to dance?" I asked.

"I would love to" she said, taking my hand. Our hands intertwined as we walked to the dance floor and even over the murmurs and conversations in the crowd, I could hear Elena's heartbeat pick up. I spun her around so she was facing me. I put my hand on her lower back and kept my hold on her right hand. Elena put her hand around my shoulder and around my neck and smiled at me.

"What song did you pick?" she asked me. Just then, music filled the restaurant. Elena looked at me with nothing but surprise and awe in her eyes, as we begun to sway to the music.

_I'm dying to catch my breath__  
><em>_Oh why don't I ever learn?__  
><em>_I've lost all my trust,__  
><em>_though I've surely tried to turn it around___

_Can you still see the heart of me?__  
><em>_All my agony fades away__  
><em>_when you hold me in your embrace___

_Don't tear me down for all I need__  
><em>_Make my heart a better place__  
><em>_Give me something I can believe__  
><em>_Don't tear me down__  
><em>_You've opened the door now, don't let it close___

_I'm here on the edge again__  
><em>_I wish I could let it go__  
><em>_I know that I'm only one step away__  
><em>_from turning it around___

_Can you still see the heart of me?__  
><em>_All my agony fades away__  
><em>_when you hold me in your embrace___

_Don't tear me down for all I need__  
><em>_Make my heart a better place__  
><em>_Give me something I can believe___

_Don't tear it down, what's left of me__  
><em>_Make my heart a better place___

_I tried many times but nothing was real__  
><em>_Make it fade away, don't break me down__  
><em>_I want to believe that this is for real__  
><em>_Save me from my fear__  
><em>_Don't tear me down___

_Don't tear me down for all I need__  
><em>_Make my heart a better place__  
><em>_Don't tear me down for all I need__  
><em>_Make my heart a better place_

__Elena and I just swayed back and forth on the dance floor to the music that our _understanding_ founded from. As I held Elena in my arms, I looked over on my life and realized until I met her, I just existed. I was a creature...a predator of the night. For the longest time, I felt like I was pretending to be something I wasn't for Elena's sake. Tonight, there was no pretending. For the first time in over a century, I felt human. Once the song ended, Elena cleared her throat and excused herself to go to the washroom. Maybe I crossed a line, being so close to her. She retreated from the washroom just minutes later as I was paying the cheque. Once we were in the car, she was kind of quiet, but not silent.

"Can we hang out at your place for a bit? It's couples night at my house and it's kind of awkward...especially Jeremy and Bonnie" she admitted.

"Oh yeah, how's that going?" I asked.

"From what I accidentally walked in on the other day, pretty well..."

"Wow..."

"What?"

"I just...didn't think he had it in him..." I said between laughs. Elena joined in too. Once we arrived at the house and went inside, Elena excused herself and went upstairs. I heard a drawer opening so I assumed she was getting changed. She came back down a few minutes later but now she wasn't formally dressed. She was sporting sweats and a black tank top. Her hair previously curly hair had now flattened to waves and she put it in a high ponytail. Elena had wiped off all her makeup and she looked just as beautiful as she did at the beginning of the night, if not more.

She found her way to the couch and snuggled into my chest. Another yawn erupted from her mouth and she sighed in contentment. I put my arm around her and stroked her hair soothingly. We sat there for a little while – in complete silence – with nothing but the sound of the crackling fire and Elena's steady heartbeat for miles. It wasn't until I heard Elena snoring lightly beside me that I realized she had fallen asleep in my arms. I contemplated staying where we were but I know from experience that the couch wasn't very comfortable. I scooped her up gently in my arms and carried her upstairs to my bed.

"Stay with me..." Elena whimpered, lightly tugging at my arm. I smiled and nodded. I went to the other side of the bed and changed into my sweats. I took off my shirt and climbed under the sheets. Elena made her way over to me and she laid her head on my bare chest. I continued stroking her hair whilst staring at the moon from my bed. I fell asleep to the steady rhythm of Elena's heartbeat and I realized it had become my favourite melody.


	2. Chapter 2

I awoke to the sun beating down on my chest. I breathed in the fresh air that was seeping through the open window of the balcony. Memories of last night consumed my thoughts quickly and I instinctively moved my arm, hoping to find Elena. The bed was empty. Instead, my fingers touched a piece of paper, folded on the other pillow. I picked it up and read it,

"_I was feeling sick, so I went home. Sorry. Hope you had a good sleep. I'll call you. – Elena"_

I read the note twice over. I couldn't help but stop the feeling of worry as it washed over my body, consuming my thoughts. Contrary to my better judgement, I couldn't help but wonder if it was something I did. If she was sick, I'm sure she could have taken care of whatever it was here…unless she wasn't sick at all. Whatever it was, I was going to get to the bottom of it. I had a quick shower, downed a blood bag and a glass of bourbon and headed to Elena's. by the t

"Good morning, Elena…" I said smugly. She let out a small laugh, opening the door, gesturing for my entrance.

"Actually, sleepyhead, it's good afternoon" she said as she walked towards the kitchen.

"Where's Little Gilbert and Witchy?"

She rolled her eyes, "_Jeremy _and _Bonnie_," she enunciated "are at the Grill for lunch and then I think Bonnie said something about heading back to the burial ground to pick up the rest of her gremoires so I have the house to myself today…"

"Just as well, since you're sick and all…" I challenged.

"Sick? Oh right! Sick…" I could hear Elena's heart beat pick up as she tried to think of what lie to tell me next. I should be hurt by her lies, but I was more concerned than anything else. She was now looking out the back patio window, staring into her backyard. I walked up behind her and I placed my hand on her shoulder. She shuddered under my touch and moved quickly to the living room, absentmindedly fluffing pillows unnecessarily

"Alright, what's going on?" I asked, crossing my arms.

"What do you mean?"

"You're not sick. Look, if it's about last night…us being so close, I'm sorry. It won't happen again" I said. To my surprise, she giggled.

"Damon – last night…it was perfect…" she managed.

"Then what is it? Cause you aren't sick!"

"I got scared…" she whispered. I was quickly in front of her, absentmindedly tucking a piece of hair behind her ear.

"You got scared? Of what?" I whispered. Finally, her doe eyes looked at me with nothing but utter pain.

"I got scared…" she inhaled deeply, "of you. I got scared of you." I couldn't bring myself to say anything to that. I didn't have a response in me. I didn't know the right words to comfort her. Every instinct inside of me wanted to scream at her, tell her how terribly in love with her I am. How I would never do anything to hurt her. But, I couldn't quite bring myself to say the words.

"I'm one scary dude…" was all I could manage.

"No…I wasn't scared _of_ you…"

"Elena, don't bother. It's fine. I get it, and you know what? I don't blame you" I said. I realized that my words of "comfort" probably weren't comforting at all. But I guess when you're broken on the inside; you see the cracks in everything else. I was heading towards the door, but I was quickly stopped because Elena was now blocking the door.

"You didn't let me finish" she said. I cocked my eyebrow in confusion.

"I wasn't scared of you, Damon…I was afraid of the way that you made me feel…" she admitted.

"I don't follow…"

"I get this feeling when I'm with you, and I haven't felt it in…well…ever. And it scares me." Elena searched my eyes, gauging my reaction. I finally met her eyes, and in one stride, my hands were cupping her face. My eyes darted to her lips and back to her eyes. Our faces were inching closer, to the point where I could feel her breath on my face. I searched her eyes one last time, for any sign of resistance. There was none. I closed the distance between our faces, and our lips collided.

It was like nothing I've ever felt before.

I'm sorry if this chapter sort of sucked! I have a better idea for the next one. Let me know what you think. Check out my other stories! Please review. Thanks!


	3. Chapter 3

**Elena's POV**

"_I get this feeling when I'm wit h you and I haven't felt it in…well…ever. And it scares me" I admitted. I kept my eyes on Damon, gauging his reaction. His blue eyes finally met mine and in one stride, his hands were cupping my face, gently but very firmly. His eyes darted to my lips and back to my eyes. Our faces were inching closer to the point that I could feel his cool breath on my face. He searched my eyes one last time for any sign of resistance. I didn't have any. Damon closed the distance between our faces and our lips collided._

It felt like every nerve in my body was on fire. Damon was kissing me slowly, and gently. And when I didn't fight him, the kiss deepened. I couldn't think straight. At this moment, I wasn't thinking at all. My thoughts, my feelings, my body…all of it, wanted one thing: Damon. I brought my hand up to grab a fistful of his hair. My heartbeat was racing faster than a cheetah could run. Our lips parted and our breathing was laboured. His lips didn't leave my body though. He planted kisses down my throat and around my collarbone, then back up to my ear until I grabbed him and crashed my lips onto his. I grabbed the sides of his jacket, our lips never leaving and begun walking over to the couch. Damon immediately picked up on what I wanted, and I lay on the couch with him on top of me. I hadn't realized I was shaking until I moved my hands to take off his jacket all together. He made my job easier when he tore it off himself, throwing it on the coffee table. I moved my hands to my blouse, undoing the buttons but I was thwarted by Damon's hands cupping mine.

"Elena…" he whispered. I sighed in contentment. I placed my finger on his lips. He went silent as his eyes trailed down to my torso, following the movement of my fingers. They landed on the top button of my blouse, and I undid it. And the next one. And the next one. Soon, his hands replaced mine. Imagine my surprise when I look down, and my blouse was all buttoned up. No skin exposed. "You drive me insane…" he whispered again, angst in his voice.

"I don't understand…I thought you…" my hands flew to my head in realization that he didn't want me at all. I covered my face in embarrassment. My eyes started to sing as the moisture in my eyes had threatened to spill over. I quickly moved off the couch and headed upstairs "I'm sorry!" I said my voice shaky. I went to my room and I sat down at the edge of my bed. I felt like a child, running away to the safety of my room. I felt so stupid. I brought my knees up to my chest and wrapped my arms around my knees, resting my head. Damon was beside me in no time. He didn't touch me in comfort. He just sat there, waiting for me to break the silence.

"I just don't understand…I thought you wanted me." I finally whispered. I turned my head to look at him, and his blue eyes met mine. He took my hand and my heartbeat accelerated at his touch.

"Elena, you have…_no_ idea how much I want you" he said in such a soothing voice. He took a deep breath as I looked at him intently, waiting for him to continue. Suddenly, his warm arms were embracing me. I didn't fight the gesture, and soon we were lying down. I laid my head on his chest, and our hands were intertwined. I couldn't help but notice how right this felt. Being with him. He took his free hand and stroked my hair.

"Elena, I've wanted you for so long. But the time was never right. You were with Stefan, and for months I was fighting the fire inside of my body that yearned to be with you," his voice barely a whisper "I want you in every way. But I think that our first time should be more than just sex on the couch...although I like your style" I turned my head to see him smirking and I couldn't help but giggle and his face turned serious again, "with everyone else, it was just sex. It was physical. It was hunger" I couldn't help but shudder at his words, but I didn't say anything. He put a finger under my chin and lifted my face so I could meet his gaze.

"I promised myself that if you ever decided you wanted me, I'd be the man that you deserve…" he finished, kissing the top of my head. I propped myself up on my elbow, so that I was facing him more clearly. He looked me straight in the eyes and I leaned in and kissed him.

"You already are."


	4. Chapter 4

**One Month Later…**

"So, what are we doing for your birthday!" Caroline asked excitedly. Bonnie, Caroline and I were having a much over-do girl's night.

"I haven't really thought about it, to be honest…" I said. With everything that's happened in the past few months with Jenna and John dying to Klaus and Elijah falling off the map to Stefan and Katherine's rekindled romance, I hadn't really been in a mood to celebrate anything. If Caroline hadn't brought it up, I probably would've forgotten.

"Thought about what?" Bonnie asked, coming into my room with three cans of iced tea and a bowl of popcorn.

"My birthday…it's not even a big deal" I said, grabbing an iced tea and taking a sip.

"You're turning 19! That's like…a milestone!" Bonnie said.

"I thought that was 18" I muttered.

"18, 19, who cares. The point is that your birthday is coming up and we still haven't made any plans!" she said exasperated. I couldn't help but smile at the enthusiasm radiating from my two best friends. I'm really happy I had them.

"I'm not much of a planner…and I don't really do parties anymore…" I said sheepishly as I grabbed a piece of my hair and started twirling it. Caroline abruptly got off the bed and headed to her purse and started digging through it.

"What are you doing?" Bonnie asked, giving me a questioning look.

"I'm…trying to find…" she huffed as she continued to dig through her bag "inspiration…AH-HA!" she said victoriously, holding up a DVD box set.

"What does – "

"Ah-ah-ah…" Caroline interrupted, shaking her finger in protest. "Bonnie and I are your best friends. You've had a sucky year and your birthday is going to _kick ass_ even if we have to completely drag people to come!" she said excitedly.

"Gee thanks…" I muttered, rolling my eyes. Bonnie laughed and turned her attention back to Caroline.

"Alright, but what's with the box set?" she asked.

"What an _excellent_ question Bonnie, I'm so glad you asked! The box set is our inspiration…" Caroline said, beaming.

"So we're thinking outside the box now?" Bonnie asked. I stifled back a laugh but the look on Caroline's face told us she was being serious, "I'm sorry, no pun intended. Continue…" she urged. Caroline rolled her eyes as she continued.

"This is our inspiration for Elena's 19th birthday party because our new motto is '_W.W.B.W.D_?'? Confused looks were exchanged from both Bonnie and I but before we could ask, Caroline flashed us the cover of what she was holding: Gossip Girl – The Complete First Season.

"_What would Blair Waldorf do?"___Caroline said proudly.

"Wasn't that her 17th birthday party?" I asked.

"And didn't Blair end up heartbroken?" Bonnie chimed in. I nodded in confused agreement with Bonnie as Caroline rolled her eyes again.

"_Anyway_, I know this isn't NYC but we can still throw you a fancy party!" Caroline suggested excitedly, practically jumping up and down on the spot. I swung my legs over the side of my bed and wrapped my arms around Caroline's shoulders.

"Thank you, Caroline… if I'm gonna trust _anyone_ to throw me a Gossip Girl themed party, it's you" I said. Caroline squealed in my ear out of excitement and Bonnie joined us in a group hug.

"It's kind of funny, isn't it?" Bonnie asked, pulling away.

"What is?" I asked.

"Wasn't it always your dream to go to NYC?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah it was but there was never a good time…I guess it's just one of those dreams that you can only fulfill while watching Gossip Girl or the season finale of Glee…" I said, giving a wry smile.

"Awww, Finchel!" Caroline said excitedly, gushing about how adorable Finn was. Caroline and Bonnie sat back down on my bed as I put in the DVD of Blair's birthday. Caroline quickly grabbed her iPad and started making notes. I smiled at her determination and kindness to give me a good and memorable birthday.

While the three of us were giggling about how adorable Chuck and Blair were, we were quickly interrupted by Bonnie's phone buzzing. She picked it up and started smiling, which was an automatic inclination that it was Jeremy.

"How are things with you two?" I asked, grabbing some more popcorn. Caroline put her hands behind her head and raised her eyebrows.

"Yes, Bonnie…how _are_ things with you two?" she asked, a smile playing on her lips.

"Good" Bonnie said quickly. I furrowed my eyebrows and looked over at Caroline, whose lips were in a tight line – clearly stifling back laughter. I looked back at Bonnie who had started to pick lint off of her clothes absentmindedly.

"Am I missing something?" I asked. Caroline couldn't hold it in anymore, as she started clutching her sides as laughter rippled through her body. Bonnie grabbed the nearest pillow and chucked it at Caroline's head. Caroline didn't even bother dodging or catching it as she started fanning her face because of laughing.

"What's so funny!" I demanded, looking around for some sort of explanation.

"I'm not sure why she's laughing…things are fine with Jeremy and me" Bonnie said quietly. I looked at Caroline who had somewhat regained her composure.

"Bonnie…" Caroline started.

"Shut it, Forbes or I'll swear I'll give you an aneurysm!" Bonnie threatened.

"It's not a big deal! We're all friends, we should talk about this!" Caroline tried to reason. I threw a pillow down on the floor in exasperation.

"Talk about what?" I shouted, crossing my arms, my eyes darting between the two girls.

"They're free of virtue" Caroline said quickly. Bonnie rolled her eyes as her cheeks flooded with a dark shade of crimson.

"And?" I prompted. Bonnie lifted her head from her hands.

"You're not mad?" she asked. I smiled and patted the spot in front of me. She gingerly walked over and sat down and I took her hand.

"Of course I'm not mad. Bonnie, you're my best friend…" I started.

"Hey!" Caroline complained. I laughed and took Caroline's hand too.

"_You two_ are my best friends. And Jeremy's my brother. Was I weirded out at first? Yeah. Do I want to hear the details of your sex lives? No. But Jeremy and I live in the same house and the walls aren't paper thin…but I haven't seen Jeremy smile this much in _months!_ And you're always happy. As long as the two of you are happy, then I'm happy for you" I explained. Bonnie smiled and hugged me, and I wrapped my arms around Caroline as we sat there in a bundled group hug, just like the sixth grade.

"So…Elena…" Caroline said, breaking the silence. I rolled my eyes in amusement and turned my attention to Caroline.

"Yes?" I asked.

"How're things with you and Damon?" she asked, raising her eyebrows suggestively. I looked at Bonnie and back at Caroline. I couldn't help but smile as she said his name. I looked up to see Bonnie and Caroline gauging my reaction and waiting for a response.

I smiled tentatively.

"I…I…I've fallen really hard for him. Harder than I've fallen for anyone…" I said quietly. I looked up at Caroline's blue eyes and Bonnie's brown eyes and continued. "I think I'm falling in love with him…"

Unbeknownst to any of them – Damon was on the porch of the Gilbert residence…and he had heard every word.

**I had a lot of fun writing this chapter! I have a lot of ideas about where the story could go. Please comment/review for me to continue! Thanks for reading.**


	5. Chapter 5

"Alright, alright, I'm coming!" I grumbled as I walked down the stairs. It was 12:37 in the afternoon and I had just gotten out of the shower. I was still grumpy from lack of sleep and my patience was wearing thin as someone was ringing the doorbell. I opened the door to find Damon standing there, looking gorgeous as ever. I had to remind myself to breathe.

"Oh good, you're up" he said, inviting himself into my house. I rolled my eyes and closed the door and followed him into the living room.

"Yes, you woke me up. I didn't get much sleep last night. Bonnie, Caroline and I were all crammed in one bed… somehow I ended up on the floor again" I mumbled.

"Sounds kinky…" he said in an amused tone as he sat down on the couch. I raised my eyebrows and he just patted the spot beside him and I snuggled into his chest. Damon planted a light kiss on the top of my hair and stroked my arm lightly. I grabbed his free hand and tangled our fingers together and kissed the crook of his neck. I smiled to myself as I thought back to my conversation about Damon last night with Caroline and Bonnie.

"What are you smiling about?" Damon asked me, taking me out of my daydream.

"I was just thinking about how fun last night was!" I said quickly, shooting him a smile. A pout formed on his lips as he furrowed his eyebrows together.

"I have to admit Elena; I was kind of hurt that you didn't invite me…I mean, you know how much I _love_ slumber parties!" he teased. I rolled my eyes at him.

"Something tells me that your idea of a slumber party and what actually happens at them are two totally different things," I said amused.

"No pillow fights?" he asked.

"No pillow fights." I confirmed.

"No dancing around in your underwear?"

"No."

"No getting drunk and exploring your sexuality?" I looked up to see he was waving his eyebrows suggestively and his infamous grin was plastered on his face.

"You are _such_ a guy!" I said, throwing my hands up in exasperation. He leaned closer and I could feel his lips touching my ear.

"You love it…" he mumbled. I could feel his cool breath on my neck and it sent shivers up my spine. I could feel my heartbeat picking up and my palms begun to sweat. Damon then pushed some of my hair back and begun to plant kisses down my neck. He shifted us on the couch so now I was lying down and he was on top of me, his hands supporting his weight as he planted kisses down my neck and across my collar bone and along my jaw. Finally, I gave into my desires and grabbed a fistful of his hair, crashing his lips onto mine. He responded quickly by cupping my face with his hands. My body arched under the heat of the moment and his hands had found their way to the small of my back, and he put his arm underneath my hips in an attempt to pull me closer. Eventually the kiss slowed down as our lips were moving in perfect harmony. He planted a light kiss on my forehead and I opened my eyes to see him smiling at me. I brushed his cheek with the back of my hand and smiled back at him.

"You're a pretty good kisser," I said.

"I know right?" Damon replied as he did that eye thing he knew drove me crazy. I rolled my eyes and sat upright and straightened out my clothes. Even without looking, I could feel his gaze on me.

"You're staring…" I mumbled as I took out my pony-tail to fix it. He let out a low chuckle as he played with his ring absentmindedly. I looked up and scooted closer to him, putting my hand on his shoulder.

"Let's take a road trip," he suggested as he stroked my hair.

"Yeah, cause that worked out so well last time!" I reminded him.

"That wasn't my fault, _you_ weren't supposed to leave the bar!" he argued.

"Why do you wanna go on a road trip?" I asked him.

"Because I wanna go on an adventure…" he prompted. I rolled my eyes.

"You didn't even tell me where you wanna go," I said. He leaned over and whispered in my ear seductively.

"It's a surprise," he said before kissing my jaw.

"Give me one good reason why I should just drop everything and go to Narnia with you?" I complained, crossing my arms.

"Because I'll make it worth your while" he said proudly. I got off the couch and begun to head towards the kitchen.

"Damon, you're good – but you're not _that_ good" I said. In a flash, he was blocking my path. I tried to go around him but was quickly thwarted by one of those "I'm going to mirror your every move" games. I looked up at him to see an amused expression playing on his lips.

"Take that back" he said sternly. I smiled at him.

"Nope" I challenged.

"_Elena…_" he said in a warning tone. I crossed my arms and arched my eyebrow.

"Damon…" I said, mimicking his tone as best I could.

"Take it back" he said again. I shook my head in defiance and before I knew it, he had me up against the wall. He pinned my arms above my head and I looked up to see Damon's piercing blue eyes staring into mine. I pursed my lips as I contemplated my next move.

"Fine. I take it back, happy?" I asked. His hands released their loose grip on my wrists as he slid his hands down on either side of my body, landing on my hips and pulled me closer.

"Very…" he muttered against my lips. I wrapped my arms around him and smiled.

"I'll go on a road-trip with you under one condition…" I said finally. Damon looked at me sceptically as he contemplated what to do. He swallowed hard and his blue eyes met mine in a cautious stare.

"What?" he asked grudgingly.

"I get to play _my_ iPod in the car" I challenged. He bit his lip in frustration and turned around before facing me again.

"The only songs you have pretty much are Taylor Swift and Glee!" he said finally. I walked up to him, patted his chest and kissed his cheek swiftly before walking up the stairs. I stopped as I was halfway up and rested my elbow on the banister.

"Don't forget that I'm a belieber that has Bieber fever!" I said before skipping up the stairs again. I could practically hear Damon's thoughts as he considered taking his ring off just so he wouldn't have to listen to my iPod. Oh well, it was his idea.

**This chapter was really fun to write. There was a lot of Delena fluff and this was pretty much "Part 1" in Delena's second road trip. Please read and review and tell me what you think! Thank you so much for all the supportive comments so far. I can't wait for you to read more. **


	6. Chapter 6

"I can't believe I still have no idea where we're going…" I muttered as I crossed my arms. Damon was keeping our destination a secret because he said he likes the element of surprise, but I know it's just because he likes to get a kick out of seeing me frustrated.

"Elena, we are already at part one of our journey…" Damon said as he pulled onto a long ramp that lead to the biggest spot in Mystic Falls. My heart started to race as I absorbed the sight before me.

"The…the airport? What are we doing here?" I asked him, still confused.

"I thought it'd be a cool place to camp out…" Damon said sarcastically. I narrowed my eyes at him and he put his hands up in surrender, "alright, alright. We're taking a plane to our destination" he said as he got out of the car. I opened my car door and stared at him, baffled at his aloof behaviour.

"Oh,we're _just_ a plane? Where the hell are we going?" I asked him as I unintentionally stomped my foot slightly. He grinned at my childish behaviour as he grabbed our bags from the trunk of his car. Damon waved to someone behind me and I turned around to see a man in a black tux approach us. I looked at Damon questioningly but he just stepped in front of me to greet him.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Salvatore. May I take your bags?" he asked politely. I arched my eyebrow in confusion as Damon handed him all of our stuff. The man took it with ease despite the weight of our luggage.

"Right this way then," he said quietly as he cocked his head and we followed him to the side of the airport.

"Aren't we supposed to go through the terminal?" I whispered to Damon as quietly as possible.

"Tisk-tisk Elena. You should know me better than that, you travel with Damon Salvatore, you travel in style…" he whispered back, doing that eye thing that drove me nuts. Damon grabbed my hand and squeezed it slightly and I felt my heart race at the simple touch.

"Everything is ready for you, Mr. Salvatore…" the man said quietly. I was so caught up in the simple gesture that I didn't take in my surroundings. We were now at the back of the airport…where the private planes were landed. I looked at Damon who shook the man's hand and gestured for me to go up the small set of stairs leading up into the plane.

"A private jet?" I asked, astonished. He winked at me as I hesitantly stepped aboard. The inside was phenomenal. Along the sides were window seats followed by one large black leather chair that was facing a flat screen TV. The entire ceiling was lit by pot lights and the floor was covered in beige carpeting. There was a mini-bar fully stocked drinks and a pantry above that was full of snacks. At the back of the plane were two doors. One was a bedroom and the other was a bathroom. I looked around as the man in the suit whose name I later learned was Jim, took a seat in the cock-pit with his co-pilot. I looked at Damon with sheer astonishment. He only smirked as he sat down in the big leather chair. He didn't say anything; Damon just looked at me and gauged my reaction as I took in my surroundings.

"Did you rent this plane?" was all I could muster up to ask.

"Nope," he said as he emphasized the P, "it was a good investment…" he said as he grabbed a drink from the bar.

"Wait…this is yours? Like…it belongs to you?"

"Well Elena, it doesn't belong to anyone else…" he retorted. I rolled my eyes and the pilot's voice came over the intercom.

"_Mr. Salvatore, we are ready for take-off." _Damon turned around and pressed a button as he responded into a speaker on the wall.

"Thanks Jim" he said politely. I sat down on one of the window seats and I watched as the airport flew by quickly and then I felt the airplane take off. Soon enough, the only thing I could see were the clouds that surrounded the plane.

I looked over at Damon who was still now taking off his jacket. Once he finished his drink, he set his drink down and walked up to me slowly, and cupped my face with his hands, planting a soft kiss on my lips. My heart was racing in my chest again and Damon slid his hands slightly up my shirt. My breath hitched in my throat as I threw my arms around his neck, kissing him back fiercely. I threw off my jacket as he continued to kiss me hungrily.

"So, Elena…care to join me in the mile-high club?" Damon asked seductively as he begun to plant kisses across my chest and my neck. I rolled my eyes and smacked his arm playfully.

"Ass…" I muttered as I sat up straight. I looked over at Damon whose hand had flown to the spot over his heart dramatically.

"You wound me, Elena…" he said. I looked over at him and placed my hand on top of his and used my other hand to caress his cheek lightly. I planted a soft, tender kiss on his lips as a small moan escaped from his mouth. Before I knew it, Damon had picked me up in his arms and was carrying me to the back of the plane, still kissing me softly. He lay me down on the bed and continued to plant sweet kisses down my neck. I opened my eyes to see that he had stopped kissing me, but now Damon was just staring at me. I arched my eyebrow in confusion.

"Are you okay?" I asked him quietly.

"Yeah it's just…"

"It's just what?" I prompted.

"You're really beautiful." I smiled at his compliment and planted a soft kiss on his cheek and he let us roll over so now was lying on top of his chest.

"You're not terrible to look at either," I said smiling. He stroked my hair soothingly as I just lay there with him, and pretended that I could hear and feel his heart beat under his shirt. A window was adjacent to the bed so I could see the clouds pass by. I turned my head so my chin was leaning on my hands and I looked Damon in the eyes.

"You're still not going to tell me where we're going?" I asked him as my fingers traced circles on his chest. He rolled his eyes in what could either be perceived as temptation or frustration.

"I want you to be surprised…" he said quietly. I smiled at his sincerity as I lay my head down on his chest again. Damon and I lay down in complete silence with nothing but the sound of the jets taking us to a secretive destination.

"Damon?" I whispered quietly, breaking the silence.

"Elena?" he retorted in the same tone, like I had back at my house.

"Thank you…" I murmured into his chest.

"For what?" he asked, genuinely confused. I turned to see that his eyebrows had furrowed in confusion and all I could do was smile at him.

"For taking me on this unknown adventure," I said. He smiled at this and stroked my cheek lightly. I could feel my body tingle at his touch.

"You're not the _worst_ company in the world, Elena…" he said. We both laughed and smiled at the memory of our first road trip. I took Damon's hand and kissed his palm gingerly.

"Neither are you," and for the time being, I just lay there in Damon's arms while I fell asleep dreaming of our next adventure. I then realized that in this very moment: Damon's arms were my castle in the sky.

**Thank you so much for all the amazing reviews I got on the last chapter! This chapter was a little bit more difficult to write because I wasn't sure if I wanted this but then I thought of a private jet and I thought it was very "Damon style"… A/N: the ending "castle in the sky" was inspired by Cascada's hit song "Everytime We Touch" where she sings **_**"Your arms are my castle; your heart is my sky." **_**PLEASE READ AND REVIEW. 3 CAN'T WAIT TO START THE NEXT CHAPTER! **


	7. Chapter 7

**Damon's Point of View:**

I couldn't remember a time where I felt this happy. The girl of my dreams was lying in my arms, completely content with the circumstances. For the first time, it wasn't about seducing her to satiate my hunger. It wasn't about sleeping with her because I was heartbroken. It wasn't about using her to dull the pain. It was about being with her because that's what my non-existent, metaphoric, beating heart wanted. It was about doing everything in my power to make her happy, because to see her smile was enough to live off of for 100 years. She was like a drug to me. Being in her very presence was intoxicating. I looked down to see the slight rise and fall of her back as she breathed in and out, and I continued stroking her hair. I turned my head slightly to see that her eyes had closed shut and she was now resting. I looked at my watch to see the jet was going to land soon, so I moved Elena quickly to the side – careful not to jostle her as I tip-toed to the cockpit.

"Yo, Jimmy…" I muttered as I looked ahead to see nothing but sky in full view. "The destination is still a surprise, so don't say anything about where we're heading…"

"Not a problem. Where is your guest?" Jim asked politely.

"She's lying down…It's been a long day…" I replied.

"Understood sir. Since you're up here, I may as well tell you that we will be arriving at your destination in promptly 15 minutes where you will then be taking the helicopter to the flat."

"Thanks Jim, you're a good man." I said as I turned to walk away.

"Good enough for a raise?" he joked. I turned around and rolled my eyes.

"You're not _that_ good," I said and then smiled to myself as I unintentionally repeated Elena's words.

"Fair enough," he said. I nodded in agreement as I walked back to the bar and took a quick swig of scotch. I could feel the plane starting to slow down and noticed we were starting to land. I went to the back of the bedroom and lay beside Elena, cradling her in my arms so she wasn't jostled. I looked down to see her stirring slightly in my arms. I smiled at a small sound that escaped her mouth as she wasn't thrilled to be woken up. A few seconds later, her slightly droopy but equally beautiful doe eyes met my blue ones, and all I could do was kiss her on the forehead.

"Where are we?" she croaked, straightening herself in my arms.

"We're almost to part two of our destination…" I said proudly. She rubbed her eyes and let out a little yawn and then snuggled closer into my chest. I let out a small chuckle as I put my finger underneath her chin, forcing her gaze. "Elena, don't get too comfortable…because according to our surroundings, we have to board another transportation method and then you'll see where we're headed."

"Isn't the pilot supposed to announce where we're going anyway? I mean, that's his job…" Elena muttered as she slid off the bed.

"It's his job if he doesn't work for Damon Salvatore…otherwise; it's my way or the highway." I said proudly.

"Your way, Damon…" she said, putting her hands above her head in mock surrender.

"That's more like it…" I said as I bent over and kissed her jaw. I could hear her heart beat pick up slightly at my touch as the jet landed. Elena looked outside the window and I could see a disappointed frown on her face as where we landed was not a give away to our location.

"Okay, off we go!" I said, taking her hand.

"But…our bags?" she asked.

"I thought it'd be cool if we were nomads…nothing but the clothes off our backs…" I said sarcastically. She smacked my arm playfully and I heard her mutter _jerk_ under her breath. Oh well, I've been called worse. Jim took his stance at the bottom of the small flight of steps and winked at me as I took Elena's hand and helped her down. Her eyes widened at the sound and sight of the approaching helicopter. Her naturally straight hair was now being blown away in the wind, her intoxicating smell wafting towards me. I inhaled deeply once before snapping out of it to grab her hand and take her quickly to the door of the helicopter.

Once inside the helicopter, we immediately put on headphones to protect us from the sound and we took off just as quickly as we landed. She looked over the window and gaped at the sight of the unknown city below us. It was only about 5 minutes before the helicopter landed. Elena looked at me in confusion as I just nodded in approval and shook the helicopter pilot's hand as Jim escorted us off the helicopter and down a flight of stairs. Jim went down another flight of stairs and as Elena went after him, I held her back until he came back a few minutes later, empty handed.

"Mr. Salvatore, always a pleasure…" he said politely, extending his hand.

"Thanks Jim…and about that raise, I think something can be worked out…" I replied. He looked at me in shock before a huge smile spread across his face. He looked at Elena and winked at her,

"My instincts are telling me _you_ are the cause of Mr. Salvatore's newfound happiness and generosity. Thank you little lady," he said as he took Elena's hand and planted a soft kiss on her knuckle. Elena smiled tenderly as the man took off up the stairs we descended from and we listened as the helicopter took off. I smiled at Elena and gestured her to follow me.

We descended a flight of stairs before stopping in front of an elevator. I watched as Elena stepped in hesitantly, still taking in her surroundings even if the current atmosphere was only an elevator. The short ride up a level was quiet and slightly awkward, but I felt my heart was about to beat out of my chest in anticipation. My non-existent pulse quickened at the sound of the _ding_, indicating we have arrived at our floor. We stepped onto the flat and I reached into my back pocket to take out my key. Elena looked at me with a confused gaze as I turned the key and heard the door unlock.

"Ladies first," I said with a smile as I gestured for her to enter through the open door. She smiled at me and I could immediately hear her heartbeat pick up as she took in her new surroundings – a private penthouse.

**Elena's Point of View:**

"Oh…my…god…" was all I could muster up. This was the kind of penthouse you see about in the O.C and read about in Life and Style magazines. The walls were painted a light grey and the floors were light-pine. A large leather couch was in the center of the room facing a very large flat-screen TV with a built in fireplace underneath. A fluffy white rug lay underneath the glass coffee table that was in front of the couch. If you stepped in a little further, you could see behind a stained glass wall was a very modern kitchen. The cabinets were white and the floor tiles were like a 50's diner. The barstools and all the kitchen accessories were red. I turned around to see large French double doors behind the couch and I was almost hesitant to see what lay beyond them. I looked to damson who gave me nothing but a smirk as I gently turned the handles.

The double doors led to the bedroom. Right in the center of the room the largest bed I'd ever seen in my life. It was a four-poster black bed with a white canopy draping over top of it. The bed was made with more pillows that took up half the bed and the sheets were folded back slightly that revealed red satin sheets. The duvet was white and I looked to the corner where a large mirror stood. I stepped in slightly and was unintentionally surprised by yet another set of double doors. I quietly approached them, almost afraid to wake up from this dream. I turned the handles on those doors that lead me to a very large, upscale bathroom.

Right in the middle of the bathroom was a large pool, like Jacuzzi tub. Off in the corner was a stained glass shower. There were huge double sinks and a very large mirror. I turned around to see Damon sitting on the bed, waiting for my reaction.

"Wow…" was the only words that I could think of. "This is…amazing…is it…yours?" I asked in astonishment. He rolled his eyes in annoyed amusement.

"Yup" he said simply. I turned and walked towards the bed – and then I noticed it.

The entire back wall of the entire penthouse was glass – and you could see out of them. I looked through the window, and all I could see were lights. Street lights, billboard lights, building lights, car lights…it felt like I was staring into magic. I felt Damon's arms around my waist and he kissed the top of my head.

"Welcome to New York…" he whispered.

**This chapter was really cute to write there wasn't a lot of Delena moments, but not to worry – there's more coming up! I've got lots of plan for Damon and Elena in New York. Thanks so much for all of the positive comments. This is probably the best story I've written. Please continue reviewing if you want me to continue writing. Hope all is well with all of you! Xoxo **


	8. Chapter 8

_The entire back wall of the entire penthouse was glass – and you could see out of them. I looked through the window, and all I could see were lights. Street lights, billboard lights, building lights, car lights…it felt like I was staring into magic. I felt Damon's arms around my waist and he kissed the top of my head._

_"Welcome to New York…" he whispered._

"New…New York?" I stuttered. "Are you freaking kidding me? WE'RE IN NEW YORK!" I shouted excitedly, turning around in Damon's arms to face him.

"Well Elena, it's either we're in New York or that's one hell of a back drop…" he said rolling his eyes I mockingly and was followed by his signature smirk. My entire body was radiating with excitement. I turned back around to take a view of the big city.

"Damon, this is…I- I mean it's…wow…" I whispered. He pressed his lips softly on the top of my hair and I closed my eyes in contentment. I walked back to the lounge area and sat on the large red leather couch and just watched the hustle and bustle of the city below.

"Let me guess, this is your penthouse too?" I asked. He grinned widely and plumped down on a seat next to me and begun planting kisses on my neck. My heart accelerated at his touch like it always did, and then I heard my phone buzz. Damon let out a low growl and picked up my phone before I could get to it.

"Elena's phone…" he said sardonically. I heard mumbling on the other end of the phone and watched Damon roll his eyes. He extended his hand out to me and I took my phone with a grin plastered on my face. "I'm gonna go grab a blood bag…" he murmured before kissing my cheek. I nodded and brought the phone up to my ear.

"Hello?" I asked, standing up to look out the large window.

"Hey! It's us!" I heard Caroline squeal.

"Hey! You'll never believe where I am!" I said excitedly, practically jumping up and down.

"Well according to the note Damon left Jeremy, we're going to assume New York?" Bonnie said, picking up another phone.

"Can I talk to Jeremy for a second?" I asked annoyed. Damon wouldn't even drop a hint about where we were going, but he left a note for my brother…I'll have to have a word with him later.

"Hey, how's the big city?" he asked. I smiled at the question and looked out the window.

"Amazing," was all I could muster.

"Probably…" I heard Caroline mutter.

"Are the three of you on the phone?" I asked.

"Yeah…" Bonnie said followed by a laugh from Caroline.

"Anyway – Jer, what'd the note say?" I asked.

"It said…_'Little Gilbert, took your sister to the Big Apple. I'll have her call you if I remember or start to care. P.S – borrowed some cash…probably won't pay you back. Try not to get yourself killed. –Damon.'" _Jeremy read. I giggled to myself at the mood of the note.

"Sorry Jer…" I said.

"So let me get this straight…my sister leaves town without a word with an impulsive vampire, I had to spend the night at Lockwood's place with Matt complaining about his mommy issues _and_ I'm out 130 bucks? This doesn't really sound fair to me…" he muttered on the other end.

"Actually 150…" I said back.

"What?" he asked.

"We ordered pizza last night…" I stated followed by a fit of laughter from Caroline and Bonnie in the background. Even on the phone, I could practically see Jeremy rolling his eyes out of both amusement and annoyance.

"I hate you all" he grumbled.

"Love you, Jer! Anyway, I'm gonna get going guys…I'll text you later or something."

"BRING ME BACK A SOUVENIER!" Jeremy yelled.

"ME TOO!" Bonnie said.

"ME THREE…" Caroline added. I rolled my eyes, said my goodbyes and hung up the phone. Damon then emerged from the kitchen with a bottle of water in one hand and a brochure in the other.

"You stole money from my brother?" I asked.

"In my defence, he should've come up with a more creative hiding place than between his mattress. Believe me, I was hesitant to take it because of the late-night rendezvous he's been having with Judgey, but I figured it was either that or I'd have to go all the way to the bank and use my own money…" Damon took his eyes off of the brochure for a second before continuing, "and let's face it, where's the fun in that?" he asked. I rolled my eyes and snuggled into his side. We sat in silence for a few moments before Damon spoke.

"So…where to first?" he asked. I lifted my head from his shoulder and pursed my lips in contemplation. A million thoughts ran through my head as I realized I was in my dream city, and I gleamed at the very thought of just looking at the Empire State Building in person.

"Well…I really wanna go shopping! And then we should go see Times Square! Oh, I also wanna see what the view is like at the top of the Empire State Building…I think there's some famous museums here…" I rambled and then I could practically feel a light bulb going off in my head. "We should go see Wicked!" I said excitedly. Damon cocked his eyebrow in confusion and dismay and I cowered back into the couch with a shade of red taking over my face.

"Actually, forget everything I just said," I stated.

"Elena…" he began but I put my finger to his lips to quiet his protest.

"How about we start at Times Square? Then we can just let New York lead the way?" I suggested.

"Sounds like a plan…" he said. I jumped off the couch and ran to the bathroom to freshen myself up. 20 minutes and 2 cabs later – we were smack dab in the middle of Times Square.

…..

"I feel like Rachel Berry!" I squealed, squeezing my hands together in anticipation. Damon brought his arm around my shoulders and I looked up to see him rolling his eyes.

"Glee?" he asked. I covered my mouth with my hands to stop the giggles that were coming. I heard a low growl erupt from his mouth as he blushed a little bit.

"I don't know what's cuter…that you know who Rachel Berry is or that you just blushed…"

"Damon Salvatore _does not_ blush" he said firmly. I turned into his embrace and wrapped my arms around his neck, planting a light kiss on his lips. He brought his hands around my waist and pulled me closer, leaning into the kiss for a quick moment before pulling away. I pressed my forehead against his and we were both smiling. I looked into his ocean blue eyes and my stomach felt like a pool of jell-O. My eyes wandered around the busy city before settling on a certain sight.

"Damon?" I asked.

"Elena?" he retorted. I rolled my eyes as this was probably the third time that's happened. I raised my eyebrow in amusement before he continued, "sorry…yes, Elena?" he asked.

"How much patience do you have?" I asked. He eyed me questioningly before inhaling.

"Depends…why?"

"Okay, let me rephrase that…how much patience do you have for me?" I said, widening my brown eyes at him and adding in a slight batting of my eyelashes. He ran his fingers through his silky, raven black hair before settling his hand behind his neck and groaning in slight discomfort.

"More than I'd like…why?" he asked again. I smiled and begun playing with the buttons on his shirt before he rolled his eyes in what I've learned is temptation.

"We're in New York…and it'd be a sin to be in New York without doing _at least_ a little bit of shopping…"

"No" he said abrupbtly. I rolled my eyes before wrapping my arms around his waist.

"Damon!" I said.

"I don't do shopping…"

"Damon! It's New York. Not shopping in the Big Apple is like a crime against nature!" I pleaded.

"I'm a vampire and you wanna talk about crimes against nature?" he retorted. I rolled my eyes and then I got it.

"What if I make it worth your while?" I asked seductively.

"I'm listening…" he said. I shook my finger in a chastising way and smirked.

"I'm not telling you how, I'm just saying I'll make it worth your while…" I said, smiling proudly. He began to play with my hair and then lightly brushed his lips along my jaw line.

"Elena, you're good…but you're not _that _good…" he whispered seductively, repeating my words from before.

"The _Victoria's Secret _store over there begs to differ!" _I_ said, pointing to a store window. Damon followed my gaze and then looked back at me and then threw his hands up in surrender. I looked at him with a wide smile evident on my face. I knew I was being a little bit unfair, playing with his hormones to my advantage. He's the one that took me to New York. So technically, I blame him. I stood in front of Damon, my eyes never leaving his face before his gaze met mine.

"You'll pay for this …" he muttered as he took my hand protectively and we walked across the very busy streets of New York.

"Actually, according to the money you stole from my brother, it'll probably be Jeremy paying for this," I said jokingly, squeezing his hand a little tighter. Damon turned his head and a smile spread wide across his face.

"I like your style!" he said proudly, wrapping his arm around my shoulder and I grabbed onto his jacket as we walked the streets to the mall.

_And I just like you…_ I thought to myself as the double doors of the largest mall in New York opened for us.


	9. Chapter 9

**Damon's Point of View**

"Today would be nice..." I muttered under my breath as my eyes scanned the other delicate clothing racks. Elena and I have been going store-to-store for what has seemed like forever, just shopping.

"Okay, how about this one?" Elena asked, emerging from the change room. I gazed tiredly as I was exhausted, but like any other time, when Elena walks into a room – all eyes are on her. She was standing with her arms extending, showing off a flowered dress that went just above the knees with a brown belt around her stomach and a white sweater. I stood up and walked over to kiss Elena's cheek and she smiled at me, waiting for my response.

"Looks good…" I said, walking over to a bin where the employees had lingerie, displayed nicely and very easy to scan.

"You said that about the last two dresses!" she said exasperated, taking me out of my lingerie trance. I turned around to face her to see that Elena had crossed her arms in annoyance. I crossed my arms mimicking her expression and then relaxed my stance as I continued.

"I said you looked good the last two dresses and this dress because you do, _you look good_. It doesn't matter to me which one you choose, you'll look beautiful anyway" I said, smiling proudly to myself as I thought I evaded the oncoming wrath rather nicely. She narrowed her eyes at me, assessing my answer. I raised my eyebrow, gauging her reaction.

"Okay, I tell you what…how about _you_ go upstairs and go and buy John Varvatos new collection of shirts and whatnot, and I'll meet you up there in about half an hour?"

"Half an hour?" I asked, sceptical of her small timeline. She rolled her eyes at my doubt and she turned and went back into the change room before continuing to talk.

"Yes, half an hour. There's one more dress and a couple other things I want to try on and then I want to call Jeremy just to check in…" she said.

"Do you have your phone?" I asked in concern. I wasn't completely comfortable leaving her alone, even if I was just going to be one level up.

"Yes mom!" she teased. I rolled my eyes and then stole a glance with the cashier and her assistant. I gave her a look that told her to keep an eye on Elena. She nodded in understanding and went back to the cash and waited patiently. I took a deep breath and pressed the button on the elevator, taking me a level up on this never-ending-mall.

**Elena's Point of View**

"Hello?" someone answered. I could recognize the voice anywhere.

"Hey Bonnie!" I said as I was hanging up the dresses I wasn't buying back on their proper racks. "I just called to check in…is Jeremy around?" I asked.

"Yeah, he's just outside, we're having a barbeque" she stated.

"Oh that sounds fun…" I said before I was interrupted by someone picking up one of the other phones in the house.

"Elena!" Caroline said excitedly. I smiled to myself at her seemingly never-ending enthusiasm.

"Hey, Caroline…I'm actually glad you're there – I need a favour" I said.

"Shoot,"

"Okay well I'm at Macy's right now, and Damon and I are going out on the town later, I can't pick which dress to wear…if I take a picture, can I tweet it to you?" I asked hopeful.

"I'm on my iPad now!" she said. I held the phone between my shoulder and my ear before I took a picture of the two dresses I had narrowed it down to, side by side. I waited at least two minutes before Caroline and Bonnie had made their decisions.

"I like the blue one," Bonnie said.

"Wear the red one…" Caroline disagreed. I rolled my eyes.

"Wait, where are you guys going?" Bonnie asked.

"I'm…not sure…" I admitted, realizing that Damon probably wasn't going to tell me.

"Well, the red one is more for clubbing but the blue one is more lady-like…" Bonnie stated. I could hear Caroline huff in amusement.

"Elena, it really doesn't matter…as long as it rips off easy, he'll be happy," she said.

"Caroline!" I nearly shouted, looking around to make sure no one heard that.

"Elena, they're both gorgeous. Just pick one. Or both. And then when you're done, give the one that Damon hasn't ruined to me, because then Tyler can ruin it!" Caroline said excitedly.

"Or Jeremy…" Bonnie added.

"Okay, that's enough! Thanks for all the help…" I said sarcastically. "I'll call to talk to Jeremy later. Have fun…" I said.

"Bye!" "Good luck!" "Love you!" shouted both Caroline and Bonnie before I hung-up the phone. I took in a deep breath and grabbed both dresses and took them to the counter to pay for them, but not before grabbing some undergarments from the display Damon was eyeing earlier.

"And what do we have here?" said a voice behind me. I jumped in my spot a little bit, startled by the closeness of the voice. I turned around to be faced with a pair of piercing blue eyes.

"I thought you were going upstairs," I said.

"I did…and I got what I needed…" he said as Damon held up a shopping bag. "Now I'm here to get the other thing that I need," he muttered as he kissed my lips softly. I closed my eyes in contentment at the simple gesture and I could feel my heart fluttering. I wrapped my arms around his neck and tried to pull him closer to me before we were interrupted by the clearing of someone's throat. I looked to see the cashier watching us with an amused eyebrow raised, as she gestured the bag towards me.

"Here are your purchases…" she said. I quickly stepped away from Damon and swiped my credit card and once I got my receipt, Damon and I were out the door.

"Did you know she was watching?" I asked Damon as we crossed the street back to the penthouse.

"I suspected it" Damon said as he unlocked the door and carried our bags inside.

"And you don't mind?" I asked as I went to the kitchen to grab a bottle of water. Damon sat on the couch and put his feet up on the coffee table and shrugged non-chalantly.

"Kind of comes with the territory," he said simply.

"Territory of…?" I prompted.

"Being this," he gestured towards himself "ridiculously good looking and that," he gestured toward me "breathtakingly beautiful."

"Well this," I gestured toward myself – mimicking his actions "wants a kiss."

Damon was in front of me a millisecond later, his hands cradling my face and my arms wrapped around his neck. Our lips parted for a brief moment before his lips moved their way down my jaw line and neck. I grabbed a fistful of his hair and pulled his face back to mine, crashing my lips onto his. He returned my gesture by fiercely grabbing my hips, pulling me closer to him. Moments later, my legs were wrapped around his waist as he hoisted me up onto the counter and continued to kiss me fiercely. The kiss eventually softened as our foreheads leaned against one another. I opened my eyes to see Damon's blue eyes. I smiled and he planted a soft kiss on my nose and turned around and walked away.

"Where are you going?" I pouted, crossing my arms.

"I didn't bring you to New York just to make out…" he said. I looked at him with a surprised expression on my face and then a burst of laughter erupted from him. "Wow, that sounded funny even in my head…what I meant was: we have a lot more to do in New York. I'll let you have your way with me later," he took off his shirt and his hands moved to his belt as he was getting ready to go and shower. I couldn't take my eyes off of his perfectly sculpted chest and how breathtakingly beautiful he looked. I could only imagine what the rest of him…

"Elena?" he said, interrupting my thoughts.

"My way with you. Yup." I said, in a trance. He smirked and did his infamous eye thing before unzipping his pants. My heart beat picked up and I could feel a flood of heat rushed to my cheeks.

"Have some self control woman!" he said as he headed to the bathroom, throwing his pants on the ground in front of me.

I rolled my eyes as I realized his game: he was trying to get me to seduce him instead of the other way around.

"_Well Damon Salvatore, you've just met your match. Two can play at this game." _I said proudly before digging through my bags to create the perfect bait.

**Thank you so much to everyone who has been reading so far and who is going to continue to read! This chapter was kind of difficult to write because I didn't really know how to write a Delena shopping scene, but I think it turned out okay. I love writing Caroline/Bonnie/Elena scenes because I love their friendship. I'm going to continue writing this story, as I have some pretty good ideas for where it's headed. Thanks so much for all the reviews, please continue! The more reviews, the quicker I'll continue (: I love you all. xoxox**


	10. Chapter 10

**Damon's Point of View:  
><strong>_**Damon and Elena are at one of the most elite night clubs in New York.**_

"Oh wow, this place is gorgeous!" Elena gushed as we took entered the V.I.P lounge. Elena was seated first so I got to admire her appearance for what is not going to be the last time tonight. Elena was wearing a snug red dress that went over her right shoulder and it went just above her knees, displaying her perfectly tanned legs. The dress hugged her curves and she looked absolutely extraordinary. She was wearing a pair of beige open toed high heels. She braided her hair and tied it so it acted like a headband and the rest of her hair was slightly wavy. I couldn't remember seeing anything so beautiful in all my life.

"I like my view as well…" I said as I sat down next to her. She smiled at me and continued to look around, admiring the club. I grabbed her hand and laced our fingers together and even over the loud music, I could hear her heartbeat flutter at the touch. "Are you hungry?" I asked her.

"No, I ate before we came…remember?" she prompted. I rolled my eyes in amusement.

"Elena – you had a bowl of mac and cheese…" she rolled her eyes and blushed slightly.

"Mac and cheese always settled my stomach…" she admitted.

"Your stomach was upset?" I asked. She laughed and caressed my cheek.

"Only because I was excited to be here tonight…with you…this whole trip has been amazing. Thank you!" she said as she leaned in and kissed me softly on the lips. I brought my hand up to cradle her face and we pulled away after a few moments, as she rested her head on my shoulders. "By the way, how did we get into the V.I.P lounge?" she asked.

"I'm a good compeller." I said simply. She cocked her head in disapproval before I continued, "I know you wanted a compulsion free vacation, but come on! I mean we could be out there with all the sweaty people making babies on the dance floor or we could be in here, with all the people who have their heads so high you'd think they're giraffes."

A small giggle erupted from her mouth as she bit her lip before speaking. "Its fine…in fact, it's kind of dangerous…" she said.

"You're kidding right?" I asked.

"Not dangerous as in…life or death. But it's exciting…it's kind of like needing a fake I.D to get into a club. There's the thrill of getting caught" she continued. I crossed my arms as she blushed slightly.

"Are you telling me this is the most rebellious thing you've ever done?" I asked.

"What? No! Of course not! I'll have you know that before…everything…I was quite the rebel!" she said. I took one look at her doe eyes which were filled with seriousness as I burst into a fit of laughter.

"Why are you laughing? I'm serious…" Elena stated.

"Elena, please…" I said between laughter "neither one of us are drunk enough for this conversation" I said as gestured to the bartender for a round of shots. I could feel her gaze on me as I looked; her brown eyes had narrowed at me in fury.

"Okay fine, Elena…you're a rebel…" I said, trying not to laugh at the word. She crossed her arms and a small huff escaped her mouth.

"I'll have you know that one time I was with Bonnie, Caroline and Vicki at _Le Chateau_ and Vicki dared me to take a black thong!"

"Did you?" I asked.

"Yes!" she said. I narrowed my eyes as I studied her facial expression.

"You went back and paid the clerk didn't you?" I asked. Her face suddenly turned as red as her dress as she covered her face with her hands. "Vicki would've made my life hell if I didn't take them for her…which unfortunately, I eventually found in my brother's bed anyway…" she said, her voice laced with embarrassment.

"So basically you paid a store clerk for a black thong you didn't want in the first place, gave it to your frenemy and then found it in your brother's bed?" I asked her. She nodded her head in embarrassment. "Why were you in your brother's bed anyway? I mean, technically it's not incest since you're adopted but…I mean…_that's_ rebellious."

"Okay pervert, I was doing laundry and part of laundry is bed sheets! And I would suggest you don't bring up incest because I still can't get over the fact you did the nasty with my birth-mother."

"Did the nasty? Come on Elena…I have to get over that you did it with my brother…" I said simply. Suddenly, Elena's eyes darted down to the table and she started playing with her nails. I was about to question what was happening before it clicked.

"Wait…you and Stefan…you never?" I asked her.

"We almost did…at my parent's lake house but we didn't go through with it. It just wasn't the right time" she whispered.

"So you're…you're a virgin?" I asked her. She nodded silently as she rested her head in her hand. "Elena, it's nothing to be embarrassed about…I was a virgin once…" I murmured in her ear. The silence was broken by a large scoff coming from Elena.

"Yeah, when the dinosaurs walked the earth…" she said sarcastically.

"Okay, I guess I deserved that…" I turned Elena so that she was facing me, and I could see the hurt and embarrassment and disappointment in her eyes. "Elena…this doesn't change anything for us," I said quietly. She nodded and scrambled to grab her purse.

"I'm gonna go freshen up…" she said, and without a word – she headed off to the ladies room. I rested my head on the back of the booth and let out a large sigh. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't glad she didn't sleep with Stefan but now for some reason I felt even more pressured to be everything to her. I didn't want her to be disappointed, and I was trying to be the better man – the man that she deserved. But maybe that was a lie…maybe I could never be what she wants me to be…what she needs me to be…maybe it doesn't change whether or not she slept with Stefan, because somehow, I'll always feel like a second choice.

**Elena's Point of View**

I was so embarrassed. It's not like I didn't know that Damon had slept with other women…I mean, when you've been alive for a century in a half, it'd be unreasonable to expect a guy who looks like Damon to be a virgin. I looked into the mirror in the ladies room and a silent tear ran down my cheek. Maybe this was a mistake…maybe I'll never be who he wants me to be…who he needs me to be. Maybe whether or not I slept with Stefan changes anything because somehow, I'll always feel like a second choice.

"Are you alright, miss?" a voice said from behind me. I wiped the lone tear from my cheek and put a fake smile on my face and turned to face the stranger, but my façade was quickly brought down when I turned to see who it was. I couldn't believe my eyes. I blinked a few times to do a double take and I was in absolute awe.

I had come face to face with a pair of blue eyes and blonde hair. Her hair was curly but tied back in a very cute bun. She was wearing a simple designed dress laced with sparkles.

"You're…you're Taylor Swift" I muttered. A soft giggle erupted from her lips and she smiled at me.

"Yes I am. It's nice to meet you…" she prompted, extending a hand to me.

"Elena…Elena Gilbert…" I said.

"Well Elena Gilbert, are you alright?" she asked again.

"Yeah I'm uhh…I'm fine…just…boy problems…" I muttered, my eyes darting to the floor in yet another wave of embarrassment. She smiled tentatively at me before someone else entered the room. She was wearing a simple purple dress that went just above her knees. Her brown hair was styled so it spread out over her shoulders. She had a very nice tan and her brown eyes were very welcoming.

"This is Elena," she turned towards me and the brunette smiled. "This is Selena."

"Right…Selena…I love your music! Both of your music!" I mumbled. She smiled tentatively at me as well and took a step closer.

"Elena was just about to tell me her boy problems…" Taylor said with a small giggle. Selena walked over to one of the chairs that were in the bathroom and took a seat, crossing her legs, her body language clearly telling me she wanted to listen.

"It's nothing…really…" I muttered. Taylor took a step closer to me and put her hand on my shoulder.

"Your tears beg to differ…come on, spill!" she said excitedly.

"Basically…I'm falling in love with a guy that I'm nowhere near good enough for…" I said simply.

"Does he know you like him?" Selena asked.

"I don't know…I think so…"

"Does he like you?" she asked.

"I think so…but he's the type of guy that all the girls want and all the guys want to be" I admitted.

"Wait…are you talking about the hottie at the bar wearing black jeans and a black leather jacket and raven black hair?" Taylor piped up. I smiled at her description and nodded simply. "Wow, I almost got pregnant just looking at him…" she murmured. I giggled at that comment before she continued. "Anyway…maybe he is the guy that all the girls want and all the guys wanna be, but maybe _you're_ the girl _he_ wants…" she said nicely. I looked over to see Selena nodding along before she stood up and approached us. I couldn't help but smile at her advice and decided it would be best not to contradict it.

"Thank you…" I whispered, another tear rolling down my cheek. Selena reached into her purse and grabbed a tissue, wiping the tear. Taylor opened her arms and I tentatively stepped into them.

"Have faith in his feelings for you," Taylor whispered.

"I hate to ask but…my two best friends…they'd never believe this happened…" I said tentatively, taking out my iPhone. They both giggled and put their arms around me so I was in the middle. We all stood in front of the mirror and I took a picture.

"Would you mind tweeting that to me?" Taylor asked.

"Of course…" I said before continuing "and thanks so much. Both of you. You're both amazing." Selena winked at me before going out the door and Taylor smiled. I inhaled deeply and fixed my makeup before heading out to the bar to find Damon.

"There you are, was just about to call the plumber…I thought you fell in…" he turned to look at me, "have you been crying?" he asked. I shook my head simply before throwing my arms around his neck, kissing him softly. He wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me closer to him. I smiled on his lips and pulled away gently, leaning my head against his chest.

"Elena…" he whispered.

"I'm okay…" I said, caressing his cheek.

"Elena, I mean this in the sincerest, most non sexual way: what happened in that bathroom?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. I giggled at the sound of the question before pressing my lips to his softly again.

"I'm not going to worry about anything. I'm not going to dwell on all your conquests ranging from Katherine to Isobel to Caroline to Vicki to Rose to Andie. They were once what you wanted, and I don't want you to regret that. But for some reason, right now – I'm what you want. And that's enough for me." I whispered. To my surprise, he wrapped his arms around my shoulder and kissed my neck lightly.

"You're incredible…" he murmured softly.

"I know," I said proudly as I giggled. He pulled away from me before cradling my face and kissing me again. The butterflies in my stomach started flying around and my heart continued to race. He pulled away and looked at me with nothing but amazement in his eyes, followed by his million dollar smile.

_Drop everything now__  
><em>_Meet me in the pouring rain__  
><em>_Kiss me on the sidewalk__  
><em>_Take away the pain__  
><em>_'cause I see sparks fly whenever you smile__  
><em>_Get me with those green eyes, baby, as the lights go down__  
><em>_Give me something that'll haunt me when you're not around__  
><em>_'cause I see sparks fly whenever you smile_

I know this chapter was kind of long…I don't really know if I like it or not but I could just picture Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez being so genuine with her. Please let me know what you think! Thanks for all the reviews! xox


	11. Chapter 11

**Back at the penthouse; Damon's Point of View:**

"Did you have a good evening?" I asked as I took my coat off and dropped it on the couch.

"Damon, I had an amazing time!" she said excitedly. I looked over to see her grinning ear to ear. If I had a heart, it would have jumped out of my chest just at the sight of her. Elena made her way over to the couch and curled up into a corner, gesturing for me to sit beside her. I did as she asked, and she was now in my lap, curled contently in the crook of my neck. Elena and I sat in silence for a few moments before Elena started humming an unfamiliar tune.

"What are you humming about, brown eyes?" I asked, kissing the top of her head. She turned so our faces were inches apart. Elena planted a light kiss on my lips.

"I keep hearing it…" she whispered. I looked down at her with a confused expression on my face. "The tune…I keep hearing it…in my dreams. It's like a record on repeat. But I don't remember hearing it, ever!" she said.

"Maybe you did but you just forgot about it…" I offered. She shook her head.

"No…the dream…it's always the same one. Always so vivid. And always the same tune. Like background music…like a movie…" Elena explained. I looked outside the large window to see that it was now pouring rain. I could hear thunder approaching and Elena and I watched a flash of lightning. It was beautiful. I grabbed a blanket off the back of the couch and wrapped Elena's small frame in it.

"What happens in the dream?" I asked, looking into her eyes.

"I'm wearing my pajamas and I come into my room…and then the rest is like a blur until I'm standing there, holding my necklace." I froze in my spot. She couldn't have remembered, could she? No. I compelled her to forget. Even if she does know, it's not like it's the end of the world – you're practically with her anyway. Most girls would be delighted to hear those three words. "It's so vivid," she continued "I can actually feel what the dream-me was feeling. And I wake up feeling the same in the dream: confused. And it's always the same song! I don't it!" she said exasperated. I gently picked her up and set her on the couch and then I crouched down in front of her.

"What are you doing?" she asked me. Then her eyes widened, "are you proposing!" she asked.

"What? No!" I said probably all too quickly. She didn't look too disappointed, but rather engaged in what I was about to tell her.

"Okay, Elena…I-I have something to tell you," I said gently. She cocked an eyebrow in confusion and I continued. "That dream… you were wearing a blue tank top and shorts right?" She nodded her head slightly in confusion.

"That was the night Rose kidnapped you. That was the night Elijah took your necklace," I said.

"Later that night, I came back to your house to return your necklace to you" I told her. She arched her eyebrows in confusion before speaking.

"But I don't remember you…" and then I could see she understood. Elena looked at me with betrayal in her eyes but that quickly turned to rage. "You didn't! How could you?" she asked, standing up.

"Elena – please listen to me…" I begged.

"You stupid, arrogant, pompous, ass!" she said as her eyes begun to water.

"Elena – let me explain!" I said a little bit more firmly.

"I trusted you…" she whispered before opening the door and taking the stairs up to the roof where the helicopter dropped us off. I followed her at a human pace so she didn't feel as if she was being interrogated.

"Please listen to me!" I pleaded again. Elena was facing away from me, but she turned around slightly.

"Why should I listen to you? You lied to me! Again!" she yelled.

"I didn't lie to you…I just…neglected to tell you the entire truth…" I said lightly. She rolled her eyes and threw her hand up in exasperation. The rain began to pour harder as we were both becoming soaked. But right now, this was the conversation that I've been dreading.

"Oh you just…_neglected to tell me the truth?_" she said, mocking my voice unsuccessfully. She lowered her head and shook it in disappointment. My heart tore at the look on her face as her doe eyes met mine.

"Give it back." she said simply. I looked at her with pain in my eyes and shook my head in what was supposed to be defeat. Elena brought her hands around her neck and then took off her necklace. She closed the distance between us and dropped the necklace in my hand. "Give it back," she said firmly. I nodded slightly before putting my hands on both of her shoulders.

"You will remember everything…" I compelled.

"I will remember everything…" she repeated.

**Elena's Memory**

_I emerged from my bathroom to see a waiting Damon, sitting on my window seat, holding something carefully in his hand._

"_Cute P.J's" he said lightly – but quietly._

"_I'm tired, Damon…" I said quietly, bringing my arms around my torso protectively. He stood up and took a step closer towards me, holding up the object that was in his hand._

"_Brought you this," he said. I looked at the object and took a sigh of relief as I realized he was holding my vervain necklace._

"_I thought that was gone," I breathed. Damon shook his head simply as I reached out to take my necklace back, but to my surprise, he jerked his hand back._

"_I just have to say something first," he said – holding my necklace out of reach. Oh no. I did not want to have this conversation._

"_Why do you have to say it with my necklace?" I breathed. He seemed to ponder this question briefly before struggling with his next words._

"_Because…what I'm about to say is probably the most selfish thing I've ever said in my life" he said. I shook my head slightly._

"_Don't go there, Damon…" I pleaded._

"_I just have to say it once," Damon said, taking a step toward me. "You just need to hear it. I love you – Elena. And it's because I love you that I can't be selfish with you. Why you can't know this…I don't deserve you…but my brother does." Damon took a slight step closer to me, his eyes darting to my lips then back to my eyes. I thought he was going to kiss me, and although every instinct in my body told me to move, I couldn't. _

_His lips touched my forehead gingerly in what felt like nothing but a goodbye kiss. And Damon was not someone I wanted to ever say goodbye to. He took a step back and I looked into his green eyes that were now shining from the tears that threatened to spill over._

"_God I wish you didn't have to forget this…" he said._

"_But you do," he compelled as a single tear rolled down his cheek. I closed my eyes and opened them just as I could feel a slight breeze in my room. I looked over to my window to see that it was open. I instinctively brought my hand to my necklace and sighed with relief as I felt like my mind was safe but then a stray tear rolled down my cheek as I could feel my insides fall apart just a little bit more._

**Present Day:**

"Elena…" Damon said quietly taking a step closer to her.

"Shut up." Elena said as she put her hand up to stop him from coming closer. "You told me that you loved me and then took it away just like that," she snapped my fingers to emphasize what she was saying, "how could you do that to me?"

"I thought that what was best," he said. With that, Elena became enraged. She closed the distance between us and starting to shove at his chest in frustration before taking a step back, her breath ragged from exhaustion and frustration.

"YOU TOOK AWAY MY CHANCE TO START OVER!" Elena shouted at him, tears streaming down her face.

"AND WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY?" Damon shouted back, throwing his hands in the air in exasperation.

"I WOULD HAVE CHOSEN YOU!" Elena said exasperated.

**I'm sorry it's taken me so long to update! I've been super stressed about school and kind of uninspired for this chapter…but I have big plans for where the story is gonna go so please read and review! Thanks so much for all the positive reviews so far, I can't wait to write more. Xoxoxxo ****(:**


	12. Chapter 12

_"AND WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY?" Damon shouted back, throwing his hands in the air in exasperation._

_"I WOULD HAVE CHOSEN YOU!" Elena said exasperated._

**Damon's Point of View**

I couldn't believe it. For the first time in over 145 years, someone would have chosen me. Someone would have chosen me to be with. To fall in love with. To spend eternity with. And not even just someone…had I not erased her memory, Elena would have chosen me. The joy and wonder was quickly erased with the sadness and defeat that consumed me. But I did erase her memory – and she didn't choose me. She chose Stefan. She said she'd always choose Stefan. I realized now, looking at her tiny frame that was no doubt freezing from the rain – that she was waiting for me to say something.

"Don't do that!" I said fiercely. Elena took a small step back and looked at me as her eyes widened in what was perceived as fear.

"Don't do what?" she asked, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

"Don't make it seem like it's my fault and things would've been different had I not erased your memory!" I said loudly. A small smile played on the edge of her lips as she ran her fingers through her very tangled hair.

"You came to your own conclusion. You assumed I'd be Katherine…and not choose you" she said quietly.

"Well sooo-rrrry!" I said sarcastically. "Sorry that I looked at my history with you and Katherine as a means to protect whatever dignity I have left, you would have chosen Stefan cause I've never been anyone's first choice!"

"Oh shut up!" Elena said curtly. I'd be lying if I said that her choice of words didn't surprise me. Before I could open my mouth, Elena continued. "You need to just shut the hell up and accept the fact that you are my first choice, damn it!" Elena said, her voice escalating.

"I can't!" I said, my tone matching hers.

"Why?" she asked.

"Because how could someone like you…someone as kind and gentle and caring as you care about a sadistic, murderous, impulsive vampire?" I asked her.

Elena approached me slowly before standing right in front of me. The rain had washed away all her makeup, and her previously wavy hair was now soaked and framing her face. She looked beautiful.

"And how could someone like you…love someone like me? I'm only human. I'm nothing special. I'm just an ordinary girl with a psychotic doppelganger, a murderous ex boyfriend, a witch and vampire for best friends, a werewolf for a friend and a Haley Joel Osment wanna-be brother?" she asked me. I chuckled slightly at her choice of words, especially for Jeremy.

"But I can accept the fact that we live in a world with vampires and witches and werewolves," she continued. "I can deal with the fact that my life is practically a Stephen King novel…and that means _you'll_ just have to deal with the fact that I pick you. That I choose you. And that I love you…whether you're capable of letting me or not!" she said finally.

And there it was. The three words I've been waiting for what seems like eternity to hear. Suddenly, it wasn't my mind that was guiding my actions. It was my heart.

I closed the space between us and took her face in my hands. Her arms wrapped around my neck as Elena tangled her fingers in my hair. I lifted her up and she wrapped her arms around my waist. Within seconds, she and I were standing in front of the large four poster bed. We were both soaked to the bone, but we didn't care. I gently lay Elena down on the bed and I lifted my lips from hers and planted soft kisses down her neck. A soft moan escaped her mouth as she brought my face back to hers and kissed me hungrily.

I opened my eyes to see that Elena was smiling at me. I gently placed both of my hands on either side of her hips and we sat there, gazing at eachother. Elena's hands moved to the zipper on the back of her dress and she gently slid out of it. I watched as her dress fell to the floor and now all that was covering her was her black lace bra and underwear.

She waited and looked at me with her doe eyes and I slowly moved my hands to the button on the top of my shirt. And then the next one. Elena's hands covered mine as she gently took off my shirt and added it to the pile that was becoming our clothes. I undid my own belt buckle as Elena undid my pants. Now the only thing that was separating us was our underwear and personal walls.

Elena gently grabbed my hair and brought my face down to hers and kissed me. I returned her kiss with more passion as she ran her hands across my back. We moved further up the bed. I grabbed Elena's wrists and pinned them above her head so I could kiss her jaw line and neck and collar bone freely.

I opened my eyes to see that Elena was staring at me intently. I loosened my grip on her wrist and she brought her hand up to my face and caressed my cheek. I turned my face into the palm of her hand and sighed in contentment.

"Elena…" I whispered. She looked at me and waited for me to continue "if we do this…there's no turning back…" I said. A small smile was on her lips as her hands moved to her underwear. My hands replaced hers as they slid off her legs. Her hands then moved to mine as we were now almost completely naked. I moved my hand to her bra-strap and slid that off as well.

The two of us were naked. Physically and emotionally. I felt like I was stripped of every wall I tried to build around me. The walls around my heart, my façade, my will power all came crashing down the moment Elena's lips met mine. I continued to kiss her and I felt my metaphoric heart beat race at the taste of her lips. My hands traced the contours of her body as she moved her hand across my bare chest.

"Damon?" she whispered quietly. I opened my blue eyes to see her doe eyes staring fiercely into mine. I swear, if I had a soul – her eyes would be the only thing that could reach it. I felt my body freeze slightly as I grew worried that she changed her mind.

"There's a place in your heart where nobody's been…take me there… she murmured against my lips.

"You've been there all along…" I whispered back.

**(I hope you all liked this chapter! It was a little shorter than the others but I think the saying "Quality is better than Quantity" applies in this case! I'm not an erotic author, but I hope the love scene was done both tastefully and respectfully. Please please please review! Thanks so much for all the lovely comments so far. Love you all! Xo.)**


	13. Chapter 13

"_If this was a dream, I would willingly sleep forever"_ I thought to myself. I continued stroking Elena's brown hair as she lay on my bare chest and my thoughts drifted back to all the moments that got us here. As I lay there with Elena's naked body against mine, I couldn't help but think at how much different my life would be if I'd never promised Stefan an eternity of misery. I shuddered at the thought, as I would have never known laughter or kindness or joy…or love. Only moments before, I had truly experienced love in its purest form.

"What are you thinking about?" Elena murmured quietly, planting a soft kiss on my shoulder. My skin burned at her touch. Every part of me yearned for her. From this moment on, I don't think I'd ever satisfy the hunger that Elena ignited.

"I thought you were all tired out…" I replied as I tucked some hair behind her ear. She smirked at me before tracing circles on my chest.

"That's a little presumptuous don't you think?" she teased. A kind growl erupted from the back of my throat as I quickly shifted us so her hands were pinned above her head and I was staring deeply into her doe eyes.

"Not when you're Damon Salvatore…" I said simply, planting a kiss on her forehead. Her smile grew as she shook her head in defiance. I rolled my eyes.

"Fair enough," she replied. I moved so that she could sit. She brought the sheet up against her chest and nestled into my side. I rolled my eyes at how quickly my resolve faded at her touch. I wrapped my arms around her tiny frame in an attempt to pull her closer. Her hand made its way to the back of my neck and she crashed her lips onto mine. I let my right hand get tangled up in her mess of brown hair as my left hand was on the small of her back.

The gravity was indefinable. She was everything I've ever wanted. If this one night with Elena was all I would ever get, I'd consider myself very lucky. "You should get some rest…you're only human," I murmured against her ear before planting a light kiss on her temple. She giggled at my words and lightly shoved at my chest. I looked over to see that her brown eyes had narrowed into slits.

"I could sleep," she whispered before wrapping her arms around my neck and pulled me closer "Or…we could do this…" she murmured against my lips. I returned her gesture, kissing her fiercely when all of a sudden we were interrupted by the sound of something vibrating. I looked at Elena and cocked my head to the side…

"Is that your phone buzzing or are you just happy to do me again?" I said lightly. She rolled her eyes before reaching over and picking up her phone.

"It's not mine," Elena stated.

"What?" I asked before my hearing followed the sound to the living room. I groaned as I hopped out of bed and threw on my jeans, and grabbed my phone out of my jacket. I rolled my eyes at the caller I.D.

"_Hello?"_ I answered mechanically.

"_So you are alive…no pun intended…"_ Alaric said.

"_What do you want?"_ I asked curtly.

"_I uhh…I have a date tonight…"_ Alaric said quietly.

"_Okay Ric, let's not lie…"_ I replied lightly. I listened for him to reply. Silence. _"Do you really? Who's the unwitting human whose essence you've stolen?" _I asked.

"_That's why I called…I wanted to check with you first…"_ Alaric began.

"_Dude, I don't need a play by play. Do whoever you want,"_ I said.

"_It's Andie…"_ he admitted.

"_Oh"_ was all I could say.

"_Yeah, and I was just checking with you…I know that she was your…whatever…"_

"_Distraction,"_ I filled in.

"_Yeah – but we got to talking at the grill and I haven't been with anyone since Jenna and Jenna always liked Andie and I thought I'd ask you…out of courtesy_…" he said. I couldn't help but roll my eyes at the thought of Alaric and Andie together.

"_You do realize that'd be two women we shared right?"_ I asked him. I took a sigh of relief as I heard Alaric chuckle lightly on the other end.

"_Hopefully it'll be the last…I find it a little demeaning having your sloppy seconds…" _Alaric joked.

"_It'll be the last…" _ I turned and glanced at Elena, who was now holding a pillow in her arms where I had been lying a few moments ago, and her eyes were shut. I took the phone away from my ear for a moment and heard a light snore erupt from the back of her throat. _"It'll be the last…I swear…"_ I repeated, smiling to myself.

"_Alright well…I guess we'll talk when you get home…_"Alaric said, _"I'm kinda missing my wingman…_" Alaric admitted. I chuckled to myself and rolled my eyes.

"_Yeah, let's not say that again…_"

"_Fair enough. Later."_

"_Bye Ric," _I said before shutting my phone off. I made my way back to the bedroom and my heart pounded at the sight of Elena. I took my shirt that was on the floor and put Elena's arms through it, and buttoned it up at the front. I crawled into bed beside her and lay so that her back was to my chest. I wrapped my arms around her waist and I felt her hands hold mine. I lifted my head slightly to kiss her shoulder.

"I love you…" I murmured.

"I love you too…" she mumbled before drifting off into unconsciousness.


	14. Chapter 14

**Elena's Point of View: **_Damon and Elena are back in town. _

I waved to Damon as he took off down the road. He was going to go home, shower, grab something to eat and then come back later. I looked down at my watch and realized I was counting down the minutes until I knew the inevitable butterflies would return.

"Jeremy?" I called out into a seemingly empty house. I was quickly proven wrong as Jeremy and Tyler came racing down the stairs.

"Oh…you're not the pizza man…" Tyler muttered disappointedly, taking a seat on the couch.

"Uhh…sorry?" I asked sarcastically. Jeremy just shook his head and wrapped his arms around me.

"Hey sis…how was the Big Apple?" he asked. I smiled and thought about everything I wanted to say…but the things I shouldn't because Jeremy doesn't have the strongest stomach.

"It was amazing…definitely the trip of a lifetime!" I gushed.

"Hey, did I just hear…oh hey Elena!" Alaric said as he emerged from the kitchen with a plastic bag full of empty beer cans.

"What's with all the–" I begun before I was interrupted by Matt coming in from the back door.

"Matt?" I asked.

"Elena! You're back! How was your trip with Damien?" he slurred. I cocked my head in confusion and then realized why he was slurring. I averted my gaze back to Alaric who shrugged.

"Damon…" I corrected and watched as he dragged himself across the floor before settling down beside Tyler.

"Yeah that's what I said – Damien…do you think he could bring us a pizza?" he asked, grabbing the phonebook from the end table.

"I uhh – don't know…" I said before turning to Jeremy. "What the hell is going on?" I asked in confusion.

"Guys night," he said with a shrug.

"Guys night?" I asked.

"Yo…Rickster…you should help a guy out and make some more super-duper cool brownies," Matt continued.

"Super-duper cool brownies?" I asked Alaric as he suddenly became very interested in the microwave going off in the kitchen. I grabbed Jeremy's arm and dragged him to the kitchen with me.

"Okay seriously…why is Tyler so quiet and why is Matt's speech impediment back?" I asked before watching as Alaric scrapped the remaining brownies onto a plate, "and why in the hell do you have weed?" I clarified.

"I confiscated it from one of my students," he said simply. I rolled my eyes at the scene that was before me. My stoned and drunk ex boyfriend on my couch complaining about my current boyfriend bringing him a pizza. My vampire best friend's werewolf boyfriend on the other side of the couch, mesmerized by what I could only assume was _The Young and the Restless_ and my late aunt's high-school history teacher boyfriend making pot brownies like it happens every day.

"Where are Bonnie and Caroline?" I asked.

"Bonnie's grounded," Jeremy said as he took a bite out of a brownie. I slapped the brownie out of his hand and threw it in the garbage beside me.

"Hey!" he complained.

"Dude…my mom is out of town tonight…we should let buzz-kill bob get back to her buzz-killing business…" Tyler shouted from the living room.

"I am _not_ a buzz kill!" I complained to Jeremy. His face showed no emotion as he stared into space but before I could say anything, I was quickly interrupted by a stifle of laughter coming from Alaric.

"I beg to differ!" he said.

"Are you stoned too?" I asked him.

"Just off life," he retorted.

"…and we have a pool table and a built in theatre and surround sound…" Tyler continued. I was about to tell him that no one was listening but that would have been a moot point as Matt jumped in;

"We can't…we have more people coming ass hat…" Jeremy muttered, drinking milk straight from the carton.

"More people coming?" I asked.

"Yup…" he said simply. Just then the doorbell rang and because the drugs and alcohol were affecting everyone's reflexes, I was the first one to get the door. As I opened the door, roughly 40 different drunk teens stumbled their way through the door and started the party by blasting the music.

"Jeremy!" I shouted but I then realized that he couldn't hear me as he was right by the speaker. I threw my hands up in defeat and decided to scan the crowd for a familiar face but was distracted by the vibration of my phone.

"_Hello?"_ I asked.

"_Hey you…" _Damon said.

"_Jeremy's throwing a rager…no wonder I'm anti social…" _I complained.

"_Does the princess need rescuing?"_ he said sarcastically.

"_I think I just might…"_

"_Well I'm just gonna call the other half of Team Badass to see what's up with him and then I'll head over…" _Damon stated.

"_Alaric's here…making pot brownies…and drinking a martini…_" I said, eyeing him from the kitchen.

"_That's my boy!"_ Damon said excitedly. I rolled my eyes and huffed. _"Just kidding…I'll be there in 15?"_ he asked.

"_See you then…_" I muttered, closing my phone and closing my eyes as I heard the sound of glass break. I was about to grab a broom when my phone went off again.

"_What?" _ I asked, deadpan.

"_Don't get too excited…you might pull something…"_ Caroline said.

"_Caroline! Where the hell are you?" _I asked.

"_That's why we're calling…my mom said that we needed to get away from all the craziness that's Mystic Falls, so she's taking me and Bonnie to a weekend at a spa…_" she complained. I rolled my eyes and brought my hand up to rub my temple.

"_What's all that noise?"_ Bonnie asked, taking the phone from Caroline.

"_It's the sound of your boyfriend throwing a party…_" I muttered.

"_Tell Tyler that if he so much as glances at a girl, I will personally neuter him!"_ Caroline shouted, grabbing the phone from Bonnie.

"_He's kind of spaced out on the couch right now…he's with Matt…whose high as a kite…"_ I explained. I could practically envision Bonnie shaking her head.

"_So we just called to tell you that we hoped you had a great time with Damon, and we'd better hear all about the details later…_" Bonnie said.

"_Okay, thanks! Love you guys…relax for me!" _I asked. They both giggled and we all hung up the phone. I grabbed the broom from the kitchen closet and swept up what was left of the lamp. I was startled by a tap on my shoulder and I was faced with a pair of brown eyes.

"Hey Elena! I haven't seen you around in a while…" said Michelle. Michelle and Marissa Jones were a year older than I was, and their mom used to baby sit Jeremy and I after school when we were little. That means I've known them for at least 12 years. We weren't the best of friends, but we were close enough that small talk was inevitable.

"Michelle, hey!" I said, giving her a hug "I know… it's definitely been a long time," I said awkwardly; "what have you been up to?" I asked, making conversation.

"Oh same old, same old…I decided to work for a year and then I'm going to college in the fall…" she said before continuing "oh hey! Maybe we'll end up graduating college in the same class!" she said excitedly. I forced a smile across my face as she gushed about how cool it would be to share a dorm. Thankfully, I was interrupted by Marissa approaching us.

"Hey Elena! Long time no see…" she said.

"Yeah…"

"Anyway, uhm… a _really_ hot guy in a leather jacket just told me to tell you that he's waiting for you upstairs. He said you'd know what he meant…" Marissa explained. I smiled to myself. Leave it to Damon to get a messenger.

"Yeah I do…listen, it was great talking to you guys again! Maybe we could catch up with a cup of coffee or something? But I have to go right now! Enjoy the party…" I said and darted up the stairs before they could say goodbye. I relished in the peace and quiet that was happening upstairs, even if it was very faint. I could hear my heart beat in my chest as I smiled in anticipation of seeing Damon.

I opened the door to my bedroom and my eyes darted to the figure standing in front of my bedroom window. The figure turned around slowly and the moonlight shining in through my window lit his features perfectly.

"_Stefan…_" I choked out.

**Please read and review! xo**


	15. Chapter 15

**Elena's POV**

"Elena," Stefan said quietly as he nodded his head in acknowledgement. My eyes widened in shock as I stumbled back slightly. I watched as he hesitantly took a small step forward, his hands in the air to show surrender.

I stood there with my feet frozen to the ground below me while every emotion coursed through my body. I should hate him. I should hate him for what he's put me through. I should have saved all of the tears I cried over him in a jar so that I could drown Stefan in them. I should yell and scream for all the pent up anger that's been accumulating. But as Stefan was standing before me, the only thing I could feel in that moment was…relief.

"What are you doing here?" I asked. He shrugged lightly, taking a step forward. I bent over to turn on the lamp that was on my desk, and took in the sight of Stefan. If I ever saw Stefan again, I was prepared for him to be dressed up in bloody and tattered clothes followed by his vampire face on. but the Stefan that stood before me was normal…he was the person I fell in love with.

"I've missed you…" he answered simply. I shook my head in disbelief. Suddenly, anger coursed through my body as those three simple words sunk in.

"No…" I said through gritted teeth. I looked up to see a confused expression written all over his face.

"What?" he asked genuinely confused.

"You don't get to come back…not now…not after I've worked so hard!" I nearly shouted.

"Elena, I know that you have no reason to: but please let me explain" he pleaded.

"Give me one good reason why I should listen to anything you have to say?" I asked him as the anger in my voice intensified.

"Because I know you…you still care…you still love me…" Stefan said quietly. I folded my arms across my chest and opened my mouth to speak…but nothing came out. Why wasn't I fighting this? Why wasn't I telling him to take his apology and stick it where the sun doesn't shine? Why was I willing to listen to him?

I looked up to see that Stefan had taken a step closer, obviously taking advantage of my uncertainty.

"Elena…you are never going to know how sorry I am for the pain that I've caused you. After everything that happened with the sacrifice, I was prepared for us to finally move on…but you didn't seem like you wanted to…"

"I'm _sorry_ I didn't seem like I wanted to move on after two psychotic vampires left like bats out of hell, my best friend nearly died, my brother _did_ die, and my aunt, the only parent I have left _did _die!" I interrupted.

"I know. And I'm not blaming you for any of it… but I got scared," he admitted.

"_You_ got scared of what?" I asked out of sheer confusion.

"Of what was becoming of you and Damon. I knew all along how much he loved you, and I became something I never wanted to: the jealous boyfriend. You were right. Everything he's done, he's done for either one of two things. He's done it for either love or for you, and 9 times out of 10, he's done it for both" he said.

"Feelings of friendship were all I had for Damon!" I said loudly. I was about to tell him how much that's changed but that was a different conversation for a different time.

"I know…I didn't think about it when I walked away…I just walked…" Stefan took a step closer until finally we were standing only a few inches apart. He took my hand in his and looked me in the eyes "And believe me when I say that I've spent _every day_ for the past few months regretting it…" he said softly.

"Things are different now…" I breathed, averting my gaze to anywhere but his pair of emerald green eyes.

"But that doesn't mean they can't be the same…" Stefan tried. I tugged my hand away from his and threw my hands up in exasperation.

"I don't want them to be!" I said. It took me a moment to realize that I was yelling, but nobody downstairs would hear because of the loud music that was blasting throughout the lower half of my house. "I don't want them to be the same! Don't you get it, Stefan? Things will _never_ be the same!"

**Damon's POV**

I felt like a stalker.

There I was, standing outside of Elena's bedroom door – listening to their conversation like a desperate high school freshman geek gunning after the quarterback's cheerleader girlfriend. I rolled my eyes at that reference before I remembered that Stefan was a quarterback…and Elena was a cheerleader. I shook my head to rid myself of the thoughts that had flooded into my mind.

I wasn't listening to invade the privacy of their conversation. I was only listening because he has been gone for months – and I needed to make sure that she was safe. At least – that's what I told myself. I pressed my ear closer to the door, careful not to move as the floorboards creaked underneath my weight everytime I shifted.

"_Feelings of friendship were all I had for Damon!"_ Elena said loudly. My heart sunk into my stomach as I heard these words. I forced back the growl that was coming from my throat as I imagined the sheer glee Stefan must've felt from that.

"_I know…I didn't think about it when I walked away…I just walked…_" Stefan said. "_And believe me when I say that I've spent every day for the past few months regretting it…"_ he said softly.

"_Things are different now"_ Elena whispered.

"_But that doesn't mean they can't be the same…"_ Stefan tried. It took everything in me not to knock that door down and kick Stefan back to wherever he came from. But my resolve faltered as I recognized that this wasn't my battle…these were the missing words that were left unsaid when Stefan left a very fragile Elena behind.

"_I don't want them to be!"_ Elena said. I took my ear off the door to adjust to the new octave coming from Elena. When I listened again, Elena was speaking again _"I don't want them to be the same! Don't you get it, Stefan? Things will never be the same!"_ she shouted. In that moment, I could feel my heart break a little bit. Not because I was afraid of losing Elena…no, I'd like to think I had more faith in her than that. This was about the fact that she was in pain – she was emotionally vulnerable right now – and it was my job to take that away.

But then I remembered that it wasn't my job. It wasn't anyone's job. I can't protect Elena from what she feels.

**Elena's POV**

"I don't want them to be the same! Don't you get it, Stefan? Things will _never_ be the same!" I shouted. I watched intently as his face fell slightly. I inhaled deeply and wiped a stray tear from my cheek.

"Stefan…I love you. And I will probably love you for the rest of my life," I said softly. "But I'm not _in love_ with you anymore. And thinks will never be the same…" I whispered almost inaudibly, "because I'm in love with Damon" I declared. I closed my eyes slightly, prepared for an attack. I opened my eyes cautiously to see that he was staring up at the ceiling.

I opened my mouth to say something but decided against it because he needs time. I pursed my lips in anticipation for what he was thinking.

"Say something please…" I pleaded. He averted his gaze back to me before closing the distance between us and crashing his lips onto mine. I could feel the desperation and sadness roll off his tongue, and I felt sorry for him. I moved my hands to his chest in an attempt to push him away but was unsuccessful. His arm wrapped themselves around my waist, pulling me closer. His lips left mine momentarily to kiss my neck.

"Stefan…" I breathed out of desperation. I didn't want this. I continued to shove Stefan but my touch probably felt like a feather. He was much stronger than I, and I realized it was probably better to stop fighting him and wait until his temporary bravery wore off.

But while Stefan was kissing me against my will: I had only one question. _God, where the hell was Damon?_

**Damon's POV**

"_Say something please…_" Elena pleaded desperately. I listened closely for a response from him, but what I was not expecting was the sound of their lips moving in synchronization. My heart sank into the deepest corner of hell at the sound of Elena breathing his name out of desperation.

In a way, I couldn't blame her. After all, she said so herself: _it will always be Stefan._

I shook my head fiercely and took off down the stairs and out the door of the Gilbert house. If one night with Elena was all I'd get…I'd treasure it forever. The good brother was back. Doesn't matter how and it doesn't matter why. He is what Elena wants. I'll never be the better man…

I hopped into my car and drove on auto-pilot. I couldn't think straight. The only thing on my mind was the hole that was burning inside of me. My subconscious led me to the doorstep I was currently standing on. I was craving one thing. I needed one thing and I loved one thing…and those three things were all Elena. But she was never mine…and she never would be.

With a shaky finger, I pressed the doorbell lightly. I heard someone walk down the stairs and the door opened in front of me.

"Damon…" Andie said. Her voice was laced with confusion and relief. I looked up at her and her brown eyes made me yearn for the piece of my heart I left at Elena's. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"No, Andie…I'm not okay" I whispered before crashing my lips onto hers. She returned my advances immediately.

"I don't know what happened…but I'm glad it did…" Andie whispered seductively as she unbuttoned my shirt.

"No talking…" I ordered as I ripped the remainder of our clothes off.

"Yes sir…" she repeated and we dashed up the stairs, our naked bodies searching for comfort in eachothers arms.

**I want to get at least 100 reviews on this story before continuing…please read and review! I love comments, they make my day! Thank you so much for all the positive feedback so far. You guys rock!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Damon's POV**

I looked over to the naked body lying next to me, and I felt my insides break because she wasn't Elena…and no one would ever be Elena. In that moment, I felt a wave of shame and regret and disgust and hate wash over me. I thought back to the things I heard on the other side of Elena's door, and I felt humiliated. I felt stupid to even think, even for a moment, that she could have picked me. My thoughts were interrupted by my phone vibrating in my jean pockets. I crawled out of bed and found my jeans lying on the floor. I looked at my phone to see a text from Elena, waiting to be opened.

_Hey…I have to talk to you. _–Elena

I rolled my eyes and took a deep breath. I looked over to see Andie was staring at me with her hazel eyes. I brought my jeans up around my waist and did up the belt buckle before continuing with my black shirt and leather jacket and soon, I was fully dressed.

"Where are you going?" Andie whimpered as she ran her hands over the spot I had previously been laying.

"Home." I said simply before putting on my boots.

"Damon, what happened?" she asked suddenly.

"I don't want to talk about it." I said.

"Enough said." Andie informed me.

"What?" I asked.

"If someone doesn't talk about something, it's either because it means nothing to them or it means everything to them. I'm willing to bet this is an Elena problem…and you and I both know she means everything to you…" she gestured to my body and then her naked body. "Well_ meant_ everything to you…" she mumbled. I growled lightly before averting my gaze back to her.

"Am I that predictable? That you would just assume it's Elena?" I asked sharply. She shook her head, a small smile playing on the edge of her lips.

"Not that predictable," she explained. "Just that in love…" she said softly. This struck a nerve. I began to fix the collar on my jacket before my phone buzzed again. I eyed it regretfully before Andie picked up my phone gently.

"Answer it," she said quietly. I looked at her blankly before she lifted my hand and placed the phone in it. "Fight for her…" she whispered. I took the phone hesitantly and clicked a button.

_Ignore_.

"Why did you do that?" Andie asked – a look of astonishment evident on her face.

"Time out…for five minutes…" I mumbled to myself. She looked at me with a confused expression but then her expression softened. Andie put on a robe that was hanging on the edge of the bed and put it on. Andie stood in front of me hesitantly before planting a light kiss on my cheek.

"_This_," she said as she gestured towards her bed "was your time out. A girl knows when a man looks into her eyes and sees or wishes she was someone else. That's all I've ever been…but I can't be Elena. So go fight for the woman that you love…" Andie advised gently. I looked at her with a blank expression, pondering what to do before Andie continued. "You're in love with a woman that you thought you couldn't have…but now you have her, so do yourself a favour and fight for her." I gave Andie a wry smile and headed home.

_**...**_

Within ten minutes, I was back at the Boarding House. As I was approaching the front steps, I stopped in my tracks. I listened closely to the steady rhythm of a human heartbeat. I could recognize that heartbeat anywhere. I shook my head slightly in shame. I should have known she would've been here. I opened the door and stepped inside hesitantly, not prepared for the direction our conversation would take.

I followed the sound of the heartbeat and it led me to my room. I entered my bedroom to see Elena lying down on my bed, curled up in the fetal position. She had her arms wrapped around a pillow – like she did in New York. It took everything in me not to wrap my arms around her tiny frame and whisper sweet nothings in her ear. I smiled at her and decided to let her sleep so I could take a shower.

I exhaled deeply as I let the hot water relax my tense muscles. I turned in circles in the shower, letting the water eliminate every ounce of my tryst. I turned off the water and hopped out of the shower.

Once I was dressed, I looked to see that Elena was still sleeping. I gave in to my heart and crawled into bed beside her. I wrapped my arm her and nestled my face in her hair. I lay there in silence with the steady beat of Elena's heart the only sound I could hear for miles. I listened to her as she inhaled and exhaled, completely unaware. Seeing her like this made me realize that Andie was right. No matter what was going on with her and Stefan, I had to make my feelings for her known. Guilt immediately washed over me as I realized what I was doing. I had just basically cheated on Elena, and now I'm lying beside her. A guilty, lone tear slid down my cheek and was absorbed in Elena's hair as silent regret coursed through my veins. I closed my eyes and let the darkness consume me, remembering that my problems would still be there when I woke up.

"_Damon…" she whispered. I opened my eyes and was astounded. I was no longer lying in bed next to Elena. Right now, I was standing in a grassy field surrounded by trees. I looked ahead to see a girl with long brown hair, petting a horse. I stood still where I was as the figure started to run towards me, a smile evident on her face._

"_Rose?" I choked out. She was standing in front of me, smiling ear to ear. She brought her hand up to caress my cheek and smiled lovingly at me. "I…miss you…" I whispered, leaning into her touch._

"_I know…I miss you too…" she whispered back. "Damon…tell me what happened. What was that with Andie?" she asked, raising an eyebrow._

"_You know about that?" I asked._

"_I know everything," she said simply._

"_I don't know…" I admitted. _

"_You know that thing with her and Stefan was nothing, right?" she asked._

"_No, it wasn't nothing. Rose, I'm never…I'm never going to be her first choice. Someone like Elena doesn't pick someone as damaged as someone like me."_

"_But someone like Elena did pick someone as damaged as someone like you…" I shook my head viciously. "Alright, stop" she demanded._

"_I didn't do anything…" I said, raising my hands in surrender._

"_You're the crazy, impulsive, mildly psychotic vampire who kills people on impulse. You're the one who was heartbroken by Katerina and you're the one who was never chosen first. But as I speak, you are lying in bed with the woman that you claim to love…"_

"_Claim? I don't claim anything. I do," I defended._

"_You know, one time I asked Trevor…'Why Katerina?' Those were my exact words…" Rose began. "And I remember the look on his face. Complete and utter surprise. He smiled lightly at me and told me that she made him feel alive."_

"_Why are you telling me this?" I asked._

"_Because I spent 500 years fighting alongside the love of my life so he could fight for the woman he loves. And I wasn't her. And it killed me. I spent 500 years of my life running with someone who never saw me as anything more than a friend."_

"_Oh come on. All that time together and you never once got down and dirty?" I joked. She shook her head simply._

"_I watched him die right in front of me. I watched the love of my existence die and he never knew. Damon," she whispered tentatively. "If I could have five minutes with Trevor, I would tell him how much I loved him. How much I wished to be his first choice and how I would give anything to be his." _

"_Why are you telling me all of this?" I repeated._

"_Because you still have Elena. Right now, you are sleeping and the love of your existence is lying in your arms. And she's chosen you. Despite the hell the two of you have been through, she has chosen you."_

"_What are you saying?"_

"_I'm saying that when you choose somebody, you choose them for life. And she's chosen you…so no matter what you say or what you do or no matter how badly you've hurt her, what it comes down to it is that you love her and she loves you. Deal with the mess later…" _

"_So what do I do?" _

"_I'll tell you exactly what you're going to do," Rose began "you're going to open your beautiful blue eyes and you are going to tell Elena how much you love her. And then you're going to tell her the truth."_

"_I…I can't lose her…" I murmured._

"_You won't," Rose said. Rose turned behind her and looked at the sun that was setting on the horizon. "I have to go," she whispered. She smiled and I opened my arms widely, and she stepped into my embrace. _

"_Thank you…" I whispered. She stepped out of my arms and smiled at me again._

"_Anything for my special friend…" she leaned in and kissed me lightly on the cheek. She turned around and walked into the sunset, her blue dress and brown hair blowing in the wind. I took a deep breath and wiped my face as a stray tear had made its way down my cheek. _

"_Open your eyes…" whispered the wind._

I opened my blue eyes to see that Elena was drawing circles on my chest.

"Hey…" she murmured, kissing my cheek. "I got worried when I didn't see you. Stefan's back in town. Nothing happened but he wants me back and he kissed me. But I swear it didn't mean anything!" she rambled but I put my finger on her lips and she looked at me. Elena's eyebrows furrowed in concern.

"I slept with Andie…" I blurted out. Elena and I sat there in silence, as a flood of emotions drowned us.

**Sorry it took so long to update! I had a major brain fart for this. I realized that for the first part of my story, Damon was really nice and everything, but he was kind of OOC. So I decided to add a little twist…please keep reading, you won't be disappointed Delena wise. Please comment and tell me what you thought of this chapter. Tell me what you think is going to happen! Thanks for all the reviews so far! I'll update soon!**


	17. Chapter 17

It had been four days since Damon has spoken to Elena. Every minute that he spent not seeing her or speaking to her or even looking at her was an eternity in hell. He had been drowning myself in self pity and alcohol, kicking himself metaphorically for what he'd done to her. After she cleared everything up with what _really_ happened with her and Stefan, he realized that he should have gotten a medal for world's biggest jerk.

He poured himself another glass of bourbon and took a seat on the couch, going over the last conversation he had with Elena in his mind for the millionth time.

"_What do you mean you slept with Andie?" she tried to clarify. Suddenly, there was a lump in Damon's throat that left him unable to speak. "Let me get this straight…Stefan blows back into town, kisses me but then I tell him I love you, and you jump into bed with the first whore you find?" Elena asked, tears threatening to spill over as she jumped off the bed._

"_Elena…I thought…I've never been anyone's first choice…" he tried to reason to no avail._

"_Shut up" Elena said abruptly._

"_Excuse me?" Damon asked confusion in his tone._

"_Despite every damn thing that's happened...after everything we've been through…it's like none of it matters to you…" Elena whispered. Damon blurred across the room and suddenly he was standing in front of her. He grabbed her shoulders fiercely but gently – careful not to hurt her. His blue eyes were staring deeply into her brown ones as he spoke._

"_Don't say that, of course it matters to me. You are the only thing that matters to me!" he said fiercely. Elena put her hands on both of his wrists and pinned them to his sides._

"_Is that what you told yourself when you were screwing Andie?" she asked, a tear escaping. He swallowed hard and took a deep breath._

"_I heard you and Stefan," Elena opened her mouth to interrupt but her resolve was weakened when Damon put his on her lips so he could continue. "I thought that maybe the two of you would have wanted to get back together so I guess at that time I figured I'd rather do the hurting before,"_

"_Before I could hurt you – "Elena finished._

"_Yeah," he said simply. "But Elena, you have to listen to me!" he pleaded._

"_Why should I?" she questioned. _

"_Because you owe me that much…" _

"_I owe you nothing!" she spat out, her voice laced with anger. _

"_I waited for you!" Damon said as his voice cracked at the last word. She blinked and took a small step back, almost as if letting his words sink in. The words were small, but the impact was large. He took advantage of her hesitancy before continuing. "I was Katherine's second choice. I spent 145 years searching for someone who didn't want to be found. And then I met you. The Petrova doppelganger…and I thought that maybe, one day I could get a second chance at the happy ending I was deprived up when I made the choice to have human blood."_

"_I don't see how this-"Elena began before Damon cut her off again._

"_And after I met you, I did unforgiveable thing after unforgiveable thing and what I thought was unforgiveable was forgiven. This may have been impossible for every other human, but not you." The tears that Elena was holding back were now flowing freely from her eyes. Damon took a small step closer so that he could grab Elena's hand. "Somewhere along the way you decided that I was worth saving…and you did the impossible. You saved me. In every way a person can be saved…" he whispered. _

_Elena was at loss for words. She wasn't able to speak or move because the fear of losing him but the anger of what he did took over her. She didn't know which feeling was more dominant. While she was thinking, Damon wrapped his arms around her small frame and kissed her on the forehead._

"_I've never met anyone like you…you're the most special creature I've ever encountered…" Damon breathed. Elena put her hands on his chest and shoved him away lightly. Her eyes narrowed and she wiped her cheeks dry before speaking._

"_I'm so special. I'm so incredible. Just like I thought that maybe you were someone I could spend a human eternity with. I thought you had changed out of the monster you pretend to be…"_

"_That's not me…not anymore. You know that…" Damon tried to reason._

"_Correction: I'm the only one who didn't. You turned out to be the person that uses them and loses them. So as it turns out, I'm not that special…and neither are you…" Elena whispered. Elena turned around and was about to walk out the door before Damon pulled her back, crashing his lips onto hers._

"_I didn't want to be perfect…I just wanted to be good enough for you," he whispered against her lips. _

"_And you were and everything was perfect, until you decided it wasn't" she whispered back, before loosening herself from his embrace and racing out the door like a bat out of hell. _

When Damon finished his glass he threw it into the fire place before resorting to drinking straight from the bottle. At least half an hour later that ran out too. Disappointed, he headed out to the Grill.

**I had a major brain fart for this chapter. I didn't really know how I wanted it to be so I figured a flashback would be easier to write. I promise that this isn't the end for Delena but I want at least 120 reviews before I continue. Thanks so much for all your support so far. I read and adore each and every one of your comments, and they all bring a smile to my face. xo**


	18. Chapter 18

It was like déjà-vu. Sitting alone at the local bar, drowning my sorrows in liquor. My head was pounding from the stress of possibly losing Elena. I rested my head on the palm of my hand and one side of my face became scrunched up.

"Another round!" I slurred to Doug the bartender. He nodded hesitantly and poured me another drink before turning to his other customers. Despite the alcohol, my vampire senses were able to pick up on a human heartbeat approaching me.

"I think you've had enough…" the voice said beside me. I rolled my eyes and turned my seat to face a concerned looking Alaric. I smirked lightly before turning back to Doug and jerking my head towards Alaric.

"Bring buzz kill Bob a drink, would ya?" I asked. Doug raised his eyebrows in question before pouring Alaric a glass of bourbon. Alaric eyed it hesitantly before I picked it up and put it to his mouth.

"Drinky drinky…" I coerced.

"How many of those have you had?" he asked, gesturing towards the empty glass in front of me. I followed his gaze and turned back to answer his question.

"I'm gonna be honest with you Ricky, I lost count…" I whispered behind my hand before chuckling. I took a deep breath before speaking "I slept with Andie…" I revealed as I took another sip of bourbon. I didn't have the guts to look at Alaric's reaction. I'd disappointed enough humans today.

"I know," he said.

"Who told you?" I asked.

"Andie…she called me and told me," Ric said quietly before taking a sip of his drink. I turned my gaze back to Ric.

"Do you wanna hit me?" I asked bluntly.

"What?" he asked, surprise etched on his face. I gestured by fake-punching myself in the face. He rolled his eyes and turned back to his drink.

"Steffie didn't fight me either…" I mumbled.

"That's what this is about isn't it? Stefan and Elena?" Alaric whispered.

"I mean – I get it…and that's what sucks. Lennie has every right to hate me and push me away but like…I love her and she's pushing me away and she hates me and I don't want her to but she will probably always love Stefan and I'll always be the lone ranger…" I pouted.

"Lennie?" Alaric questioned.

"Elena…would you keep up?" I asked, slightly annoyed. He threw his hands up in surrender before turning to listen. "Anyway I just assumed that she'd pick Stefan…everyone else does…" I rambled before Alaric interrupted.

"You thought she'd be Katherine," he said. I furrowed my eyebrows in surprise and put my head in my hands and nodded. Alaric sighed and got off his chair and tugged on my shoulders lightly.

"Alright, I think it's time to get you to bed…" he suggested. I shrugged off his gesture quickly and mumbled into the palm of my hands.

"I don't swing that way!" I slurred, taking another sip of bourbon before tipping the glass upside down and frowning when it came up empty. "I can't catch a break!" I said loudly out of exasperation before yelling at Doug to just bring me the bottle. Under compulsion, he obliged.

"Damon – I think you've had enough...you don't wanna be a spectacle of yourself…" Ric offered quietly.

"But spectacles are…" I searched for the perfect word. "Spectacular!" I decided.

"I have a class tomorrow and I can't spend the night here listening about your lady problems…you need sleep, it's a whole new day tomorrow…"

"Nothing gets by you, Ricky…" I mumbled before laying my head on my folded arms. I listened as Ric walked away outside. _What a great friend…_ I thought sarcastically.

…**..**

"Come on, pick up…" Alaric whispered to himself, glancing back through the window and seeing Damon talking to teenager at the bar.

"Hello?" Elena answered.

"Hey, it's me…Ric…" he clarified.

"Oh hi?" Elena said confused.

"Listen uhh…I don't know what happened with you and Damon but he's really upset…" Ric offered, still eyeing Damon through the window.

"I appreciate the concern, but it's none of your business…" Elena said defensively.

"Yeah no kidding, but right now Damon's at the bar drowning himself in bourbon by the bottle and buying what I can only assume is weed from a teenager…" Ric said before shaking his head in defeat.

"Get him out of there…" Elena offered.

"I tried, he won't go…look…he's not in his right frame of mind right now. I've never seen him this far gone…"

"What do you expect me to do? He's a big boy!" Elena said, exasperated.

"I know he is…but he loves you, and he needs you…"

Alaric listened intently and heard Elena take a deep breath.

"I'll be right there…" she said quickly before hanging up the phone. Alaric went inside and resumed his place beside Damon.

…

"Ricky-Dicky-Ding-Dong...I thought you left," I mumbled as I continued making a cootie catcher out of a napkin. Ric eyed the teenager and the blonde, brown eyed boy blushed. "My apologies…Ricky this is…" I searched my mind for the name of the teen.

"Liam," Ric finished. I eyed him questioningly. "He's my student…" Ric explained.

"Hey Mr. Saltzman…" Liam said quietly.

"Why are you at the bar?" Alaric asked, raising his eyebrows.

I rolled his eyes and put my arm around Liam's shoulders. I looked to Liam who was searching for an answer. I patted his shoulder lightly before turning to Ric "What is this? Interrogation Tuesday?"

"It's Friday..." Liam mumbled. I smiled widely to myself as I stumbled off the barstool and headed towards the jukebox.

"Oh no…" I could hear Ric mumble.

_7am, waking up in the morning__  
><em>_Gotta be fresh, gotta go downstairs__  
><em>_Gotta have my bowl, gotta have cereal__  
><em>_Seein' everything, the time is goin'__  
><em>_Tickin' on and on, everybody's rushin'__  
><em>_Gotta get down to the bus stop__  
><em>_Gotta catch my bus, I see my friends (My friends)___

_Kickin' in the front seat__  
><em>_Sittin' in the back seat__  
><em>_Gotta make my mind up__  
><em>_Which seat can I take?___

_It's Friday, Friday__  
><em>_Gotta get down on Friday__  
><em>_Everybody's lookin' forward to the weekend, weekend__  
><em>_Friday, Friday__  
><em>_Gettin' down on Friday__  
><em>_Everybody's lookin' forward to the weekend_

Soon enough, I could feel everyone's gaze on me as I shuffled my way back to the bar. I probably would have collapsed if it weren't for the nifty counter.

"You should sing this to your students…it's _very_ educational…" I suggested to Ric. I was about to order another drink before a human heartbeat had all of my attention. I could recognize that heartbeat anywhere. I turned my head and even through my drunken stupor, I could see the brown hair, brown eyed angel approach me with nothing but worry in her eyes.

"Elena…" I breathed before getting off the stool and stumbling towards her. The room began to spin and I would have fallen if it weren't for her warm arms catching me. I buried my face in her hair.

"I'm sorry…" I mumbled over and over again. She patted my back before whispering in my ear.

"We'll talk about that later but right now let's get you home…" she suggested, tugging lightly on my arm.

"Thanks for coming," Alaric said.

"You're welcome…" I mumbled in response. Elena shook her head and chuckled lightly.

…**..**

"I think I can take it from here…" I whispered before putting my arm around Damon's waist, leading him outside. I could see that fresh air was something that he had been deprived of while sitting and drowning himself in bourbon. I opened the passenger side of the car and I helped him inside.

The car ride to the Boarding House was silent. I looked over to see that he was drifting in and out of consciousness until I stopped the car in the driveway.

"Come on…" I whispered as I unbuckled his seatbelt and moved to open the door for him. He stepped out hesitantly and I wrapped my arms around his waist again, leading him back to the house. Once he was close enough not to fall, he immediately collapsed on the couch and closed his eyes in frustration. I left the room briefly and came back with an empty bucket and a damp wash cloth. I placed the bucket beside the couch and dabbed his forehead with the cloth.

It pained me to see him like this. And it pained me to know that I was the cause.

"Andie was a mistake…" he mumbled suddenly. I opened my mouth to interrupt before his blue eyes were staring into mine as he spoke. "She was a pain killer to numb the inevitable loss of you but there is no way to numb that kind of pain…I'm sorry…I love you…" he mumbled. He closed his eyes and whispered his final words of the night. "If you let me, I can love you forever…"

**This chapter was really hard to write but I liked the way it turned out…please comment and let me know what you think. Do you think everyone was OOC or did you think everyone was in character? Please tell me what you thought of this new chapter! **130 REVIEWS TO CONTINUE!****


	19. Chapter 19

The amount of pressure in my head was more than I could handle at the moment. Not only did it feel like needles were piercing my brain, but it felt as if my brain would literally explode from the pressure. I searched my mind for the cause of this pain and it all led to one image: a bottle of bourbon. I mentally scolded myself for drinking that much. Suddenly, the smell of coffee was wafting under my nose. I hesitantly opened my eyes to see Elena holding a cup of coffee out to me. A warm smile was playing on her lips. It wasn't an intimate smile, but a smile that she used to give me…when we were friends. My focus on the type of smile was quickly averted when it clicked in that she was here. A sense of relief washed over me, something I'd grown accustomed to whenever Elena was around. She ran her fingers through her hair, brushing the hair out of her face and took a seat on the coffee table. I slouched up the couch, the room spinning with very move I made. I swallowed hard and soon enough, I was vertical even if it killed me.

"How are you feeling?" she whispered, placing the cup of hot coffee in my waiting hands. I smiled weakly before taking a sip, allowing the liquid to warm my cold body and ease my headache slightly.

"Like there's a giant elephant standing on my head…" I croaked. I rubbed my eyes and squeezed the bridge of my nose, trying to relieve the pressure before I spoke.

"Did you spend the night?" I asked quietly.

Elena smiled weakly, "I didn't wanna leave you alone…you were…_really_ drunk," she said with a shy smile before bringing the cup to her lips. "I brought you home and you immediately crashed on the couch."

"You didn't have to stay with me…" I reminded her.

"I know," she whispered, flashing me another warm smile. The massive headache I was harbouring lessened with her smile. The effect of her was purely psychological, but I couldn't help but bask in the glory of it.

I mentally shook my head and stood up, placing the cup of coffee on the end table. "Thanks for the charity, but I can take care of myself…" I mumbled before heading upstairs to take a shower. Elena's eyebrows furrowed in a tight line out of confusion and worry.

"Wait, what?" she asked out of confusion. I was halfway up the stairs but I turned to face her.

"Never mind…thanks for the coffee," I saluted her briefly before reaching my bedroom.

…

I let the warm water soak through my skin, relieving my tense muscles and letting the events of yesterday roll off down the drain. I took a deep breath and shut off the water. Stepping out of the shower, I wrapped a towel around my waist and opened the door to my bedroom. A part of me was hoping to find Elena somewhere in the house, but as I listened closely, I could hear no heartbeat within a few miles. I ran my fingers through my now wet hair and headed over to my large armoire.

After getting dressed with my signature black t-shirt, dark wash jeans and black boots, I headed downstairs to the basement to grab a blood bag. I let the blood soak down my throat, relieving the stench of the night before and letting it satiate my hunger. The house was quiet until I heard the front door open. I immediately rushed up the stairs, hoping to find Elena. A part of me did, unfortunately this version of her was dressed up in black. Her hair was curled in large ringlets and she was wearing tall boots. The smirk on her face was unmistakeable.

"Katherine…" I breathed. She walked closer, her long legs supporting the weight of her slender and seductive body. She ran her finger over my chest and inhaled deeply.

"It is so…_so_ good to see you," she said. I grabbed her wrist and pinned it to her side before turning and taking a seat on the couch.

"Wish I could say the same," I said. She rolled her eyes and made her way over to the parlour, pouring herself a drink.

"I'd ask you if you want one, but I think you had enough…" she mustered, a smile playing on her lips. I stood up immediately and turned to face her.

"How do you know about that?" I asked, grabbing the drink from her hands and placing it on the end table.

"I hear things," she said before shrugging and revealing her resolve. "Plus you weren't exactly inconspicuous…" she teased. A low growl erupted from the back of my throat. "I was a few minutes from the Grill having dinner in the forest when Stefan came out of the wood work, exclaiming that his brother was a drunk and his former flame was practically being a nurse…"

"Where is he?" I asked. My stomach felt a little unsettled not knowing where Stefan was. Whether it was because he was my little brother or because he was after the woman I loved, that was anyone's guess. But I still needed to talk to him…I needed to see him. Katherine took a deep breath out of annoyance and spoke.

"He's been staying at a hotel. After he went to see my dull as a dishrag doppelganger, he checked in and called me…I came to town, you got drunk, Elena left and now I'm here…" she explained, ticking off the events with her perfectly manicured fingers. Suddenly, her index finger lifted in the air as a sign of a light bulb. "But of course, who could forget the kiss between your precious Elena and Stefan?" she teased. She walked around me as if I was some sort of statute and she was admiring me. She stopped abruptly behind me. "How does that make you feel?" she whispered in a teasing manner in my ear.

Without time to react reasonably, my hands were around her throat – pinning her slender body up against the wall. She smirked again.

"Damon, I like it rough too…all you had to do was ask," she said, playing with the buttons on my shirt. I growled and released my grip on her. Everything was piling up. I was just getting around to being with Elena and then Saint Stefan pops back into town and now Katherine. _What was next?_ I thought to myself. I pondered that and shuddered that question away, not wanting to know the answer.

"Why are you here?" I said with clenched teeth. She cocked her eyebrow seductively and stepped forward.

"I was bored," she said simply with a light shrug of her shoulders. I rolled my eyes and folded my arms across my chest.

"You came back to good ol' Mystic Falls because you're _bored_?_" _I clarified.

"Yup," she said, enunciating the P. Katherine turned on her heels and took a seat on the armchair closest to the fireplace and gazed into it as she spoke. "Stefan and I were in Mexico…I came back one afternoon from a hunt and he was gone. No note, no phone call…just vanished," she said.

"Get used to it, honey – that seems to be Stefan's go to move" I scoffed.

"Apparently he had something else on his mind for him to forget his diary," Katherine explained as grabbed a flat, leather-bound book from her trench coat pocket. I rolled my eyes and shook my head.

"What is he, a 9 year old girl?" I muttered to myself, hesitantly taking a seat on the coffee table to face Katherine.

"You always said you wanted a sister…" Katherine retorted before continuing. She opened a page from the diary. "According to _this_ entry," she pointed to a fairly recent one "he came back for Elena…"

"Yeah well, I knew that…" I said to myself.

"Yeah well what you don't know is that Stefan is a completely different person now. He's braver, darker…" she looked off into the distance as if picturing him "_and sexier…_" she added as an afterthought before averting her gaze back to me.

"Why are you telling me all this?" I asked.

"Because if you care about Elena as much as you say you do, then you'd probably wanna know that Elena won't around for you to get your shit together…" she scolded.

"_You're_ giving me relationship advice? Well how ironic is this…"

Katherine stood up quickly and crossed the room until she was standing in front of the front door. "He's changed…he's changed into the kind of person that gets what he wants – at all costs…" she said.

"Oh and Damon?" she added. I gritted my teeth and turned to her.

"Yes Miss. Katherine?" I said sarcastically.

She smirked. "Stefan's turned into the male version of me… think about _that_ kind of person going after the one you love," she whispered before heading out the door.

"_I think about it every day…"_ I whispered to myself as the familiar feeling of defeat washed over me.

**In case anyone's confused, Stefan came to town without Katherine but when he realized the severity of Elena's relationship with Damon, he called Katherine. Stefan has been keeping tabs on Elena since he got back to town and Katherine just got back to Mystic Falls the night before. I hope you guys liked this chapter! Thank you so much everyone for all the amazing reviews! Keep reading and keep reviewing! Love you all (:**


	20. Chapter 20

My world was spinning out of control. As I lay on my bed, staring up at the ceiling, I finally allowed a single tear to escape from the corner of my eye, a recognition that whatever Damon and I had was over. It hurt to know that somehow I was able to be everyone's rock through tragedy after tragedy, but my rock had faltered. My rock had slept with someone else at the first sign of a struggle. I could feel my chest cave into my body as the weight of my hurt was weighing down heavily on me. I closed my eyes and let the weight of my soul lull me to sleep.

_I opened my eyes to be faced with a blue sky. I groaned as I could feel the hard cement underneath my back. I sat up hesitantly and took in my surroundings, slightly unnerved by the environment. I stood up and brushed the dirt off my clothes, and my heart sunk. I hesitantly walked over and touched the guard-rail. The guard rail that was literally the line between life and death for my parents._

"_Elena…" a voice said from behind me. I turned around instantly to be faced with a familiar face. Her slightly wavy, light brown hair went just above her shoulders. Her hazel brown eyes were sparkling with love. The smile the woman before me was wearing was unmistakeable. She was wearing a simple white t-shirt and simple jeans, converse sneakers covering her feet._

"_Mom?" I breathed, my voice cracking. She smiled and wrapped her arms around me. At first I was rigid, but her unmistakeable scent relaxed me. I immediately melted in her arms, my eyes now tearing like a waterfall._

"_Shh…baby, I'm here..." she whispered into my hair. I hesitantly stepped out of her embrace, and she only smiled wider at me. Mom brought her hand up and lightly brushed my cheek with the back of her hand. I leaned into her touch, breathing in the moment. _

"_Mom, I miss you…" I whispered. _

"_I know baby, but I'm never far away," she said._

"_I'm so sorry…" I breathed, nearly hyperventilating._

"_For what, 'Lena?" Mom asked. I smiled slightly at the use of my old nickname. All I could do was step into her arms. She rubbed my back soothingly, and I begun to ramble._

"_I'm sorry for going to the party – I wish I never blew off family night. Jeremy's the only family I have left!" I said, now sobbing. _

"_That's not true," Mom breathed._

"_Do I have more parents?" I asked, rolling my eyes and nearly afraid of the answer. Mom chuckled lightly and stroked my hair. Much to my dismay, she put both hands on either of my shoulders and pulled me away to look at me._

"_No sweetheart, there are only 5 of us…" she joked lightly, wiping a tear away with her thumb. "But Jeremy is not your only family. You are forgetting about the countless other people who would literally lay their lives down on the line for you – and most of them have." Instantly, thoughts of Jeremy, Bonnie, Caroline, Tyler, Alaric, Stefan and Damon came to mind. _

"_But you and Dad left me and Jeremy. My biological mother is a vampire. Uncle John is my biological father…and Jenna got turned into a vampire and then was sacrificed!" I spilled. I was now pacing up and down the sidewalk of the bridge, saying everything I needed to before I woke up. "I fell in love with a vampire…and then I fell even deeper in love with his vampire brother. But the vampire brother slept with his compelled ex because he thought I was getting back together with Stefan, but I wasn't. Stefan wanted to, but I don't want Stefan – I want Damon! And Caroline's a vampire. And Bonnie's a witch. And Tyler's a werewolf, and Alaric, Aunt Jenna's boyfriend, is Isobel's ex husband…by the way, Damon is the one that turned Isobel!" I breathed, looking to my silent mother for a word of support._

_Much to my surprise, she was smiling. "Amazing, isn't it?" she asked._

"_What?" I asked, baffled at the question she chose to ask after my supernatural confession._

"_I said it's amazing." Mom said._

"_What's amazing?" I asked, confused._

"_That no matter how supernatural your problems are, the love of a boy is what it always comes down to." Mom announced. _

"_I should hate him." I admitted, looking out onto the lake. _

"_Love and hate…such a fine line…" a different voice said from behind me. I turned around and my heart leapt at the sight of the man approaching my mother and I._

"_Daddy!" I yelled, as I ran into his waiting arms. He spun me around like he did when I was a child. The tears were now running relentlessly down my face. My mother wrapped her arms around my dad and I and I inhaled this moment. _

"_Hi baby," Dad whispered into my hair, kissing the top of my hair. He too pulled me back to look at me. "You get more and more beautiful with time darling," he said with a smile evident on his face. _

"_You were saying, Grayson?" Mom prompted, nudging Dad in the ribs slightly. He wrapped his arm around my mom and pulled her closer. Mom rested her head on his shoulder as both of them looked at me with loving eyes. _

"_Remember what your mother and I told you when you were growing up? Not everything is in black and white, there are shades of grey. Just like how not everything is good and bad, love and hate…" Dad started._

"_Just because your father and I are dead, doesn't mean we don't pop in every once in a while to check up on you and your brother, we see the way you looked at Stefan – and we see the way you look at Damon. There's no comparison," Mom stated. I smiled slightly, as I considered this. When I looked at Stefan, all I could feel was admiration and appreciation that this amazing man was mine. When I look at Damon, my heart leaps at the sight of him in anticipation for the next time his lips are on mine or his arms are around me. Just being within 10 feet of Damon is intoxicating. "Elena, love is…"_

"_Complicated…" Dad finished. Mom looked at Dad with love in her eyes and smiled before speaking again._

"_Always interrupting me…" Mom rolled her eyes in a playful manner but all he did was kiss her temple. "The bottom line is that even if you have a thousand reasons to walk away, love means that you'll always look for that one reason to stay."_

"_One look at your mother, and she was my reason. Despite her shopping sprees and her negativity about sports…" Dad mumbled slightly. I couldn't help but laugh at their banter towards each other…it reminded me of Damon and I. With that, a fresh stream of tears rolled down my cheeks._

"_If I stay with Damon, I'm giving up my humanity…he's not the type of man you walk away from if you can help it. There's no way I could fall in love with a human and get the human experience of a marriage and a family knowing that Damon is still out there somewhere…" I said, defeat lacing my voice._

"_Sweetheart, it's not impossible to get all those things…" Dad said quietly._

"_Daddy, he's a vampire…I can't…Damon Salvatore isn't the type of man to put a ring on it," I lifted my left hand to prove my point. _

"_But Damon Salvatore is the type of man to change and bend the rules for you…" Mom spoke._

"_After what happened with Andie, I don't know if he loves me anymore…" I admitted, folding my arms across my stomach, as if to hold myself together._

"_It's worth a try…" Dad whispered. I looked at both of them, but their gazes were now fixed on the setting sun. I followed their gaze, and despite the setting sun, there was a light beaming, and it was getting brighter._

"_No…" I breathed, immediately running to my parents, hugging them as hard as I could._

"_We have to go, Elena..." my mom whispered into my hair._

"_No! Don't leave me…" I begged, sobs wracking through my body._

"_Never…" Dad whispered. "Just promise us one thing…"_

"_Anything," I sobbed._

"_Promise us that you and Jeremy will move on with your lives. Tell Jeremy that we love him, and we're sorry we broke him. Make sure you and your brother look after each other, and most of all…follow your heart." They said simultaneously. I opened my eyes to be faced with an empty bridge._

"_No!" I cried out. I immediately fell to the ground, bringing my knees up to my chest and collapsing on my side. I lay there, in the middle of Wickery Bridge, sobs wracking through my body – and for the first time in a long time, I felt truly alone._

"_Elena…" I could hear someone call. I could recognize this voice anywhere. _

"_Damon?" I called out, looking around anxiously. There was no answer._

"_DAMON!" I shouted, now running down the bridge – following the direction of the voice I heard not moments ago._

"Elena! Elena! Wake up!" someone said, shaking me vividly. I forced my eyes open to be faced with a pair of worried, brown eyes.

"Jeremy?" I breathed, touching his arm. I looked around and realized I was back in my room. "Where's Damon?" I breathed, swinging my legs over the bed.

"Uhh…I don't know. I just got in the door when I heard you screaming bloody murder…" Jeremy muttered, helping me off the bed.

"I need to see him! Now!" I huffed, grabbing a pair of shoes from my closet.

"Wait, what was all that about?" Jeremy asked, gesturing towards the bed. I shook my head briefly, not wanting to forget the dream.

"Mom and Dad. I saw them. They're oaky, they're happy. They love you and they're sorry they broke you. They want us to look after eachother and follow our hearts…" I rambled, trying to find my other converse.

"I'm sorry?" Jeremy asked, completely confused. I rolled my eyes.

"I'll tell you everything, but I have to go!" I said, kissing Jeremy on the cheek before running down the stairs.

"Where?" Jeremy asked.

"To follow my heart!" I yelled as I ran towards my car.

**MAJOR brain fart for this chapter. I hope you all liked it. What do you think will happen next? Please read and review…and I have another surprise for you guys. I'm working on a new TVD story (my wish list for Season 3, basically)…my own personal spin on the curse, what is happening with Stefan and most of all – where it all leaves Delena. Please check it out "Hanging by a Moment" **.net/s/7141735/1/Hanging_by_a_Moment

**READ AND REVIEW ALL. I LOVE YOU.**


	21. Chapter 21

Adrenaline was the only thing coursing through Elena's veins as her foot stepped harder on the gas pedal. Anxious to follow her heart, she took a shortcut to the boarding house – a wide smile on her face the whole way. Her heart was racing and the butterflies in her stomach were unmistakeable. She could hear her heart in her ear as she approached the familiar driveway to Damon's house. She quickly turned off the ignition and all but barrelled through the door. As she walked through the threshold of the foyer and living room, her heart dropped at the scene before her.

Stefan's hands were around Damon's throat, and he had Damon up against the wall. A stake was hovering over Damon's heart, and even from across the room – Elena could see that he was losing consciousness.

"STEFAN, NO!" Elena shouted, running up behind him and pleading with Stefan to put Damon down.

"Elena, don't you see? It's the only way for us to be together…" he said, his voice cracking. Elena watched in horror as Stefan plunged the stake into Damon's chest, just piercing his lung. Helpless, Elena saw Damon's body sink to the floor, his head lolling side to side from the lack of oxygen and from the pain.

"Stefan, listen to me. Don't do this, please…" Elena pleaded; ready to throw herself between Stefan and Damon if he grabbed the stake again. She watched as Damon tried to open his mouth, but no words came out. Elena's heart broke at the helplessness before her. The desperation in his eyes was heart wrenching.

"I have to kill him…" Stefan whispered, defeat lacing his voice. "The voices…they want me to kill him. They don't want him to have you…" he clarified, piercing the stake through Damon's chest again, just barely grazing his heart – but this was enough for Damon to cry out in sheer agony and cough up some blood. Stefan pulled the stake out of his chest, the blood from the stake dripping onto the floor.

"What voices?" Elena asked, trying to distract him.

"All of the voices…in my head…" Stefan tried to clarify. Elena felt pity as she watched Stefan struggle with the words to describe his pain.

"Whatever the voices are saying, don't listen to them! Stefan, you're stronger than this. _You're better than this!"_ she pleaded, tears running down her face. Stefan turned around to face Elena, and she could see the black and blue veins beneath his regularly olive skin, his eyes a menacing red. Before she could blink, he had her up against the far wall, pinning her there by the throat –but not choking her.

"That's where you're wrong…I'm not better than this…not anymore…"

"Stefan, listen to me…" Stefan tried to look away at the sound of her soft words, but she simply put her hand on his neck, willing him to look at her. "I know you. I know who you are, and this…" she nodded towards Damon, "isn't it."

"He's trying to come between us Elena!" Stefan said, venom lacing his voice. He turned his head to look briefly at Damon, and then turned his gaze back to Elena. Somehow, both a state of shock and numbness were the only thing Elena could and couldn't feel. As Elena tried to peer around Stefan to look at Damon, Stefan grabbed her chin fiercely, forcing her to look at him. "_You _are mine…Damon can't have you…you used to love me, remember?" when Elena didn't say anything, Stefan slammed her head into the wall. A small cry escaped from Elena's lips, but she forced herself to look at Stefan. "Remember?" he prompted, the venom in his voice menacing. She nodded as best she could.

"If I have to…kill him…I will. I will do anything to prove to you how much I love you. How much I need you…and how much you love and need me too…" Stefan said, sending a growl in Damon's direction. Damon was slowly itching his way up the wall, steadying himself on a nearby chair. Seeing this, Stefan quickly dropped Elena, her weak body sinking onto the floor. Stefan was choking Damon again, and Elena did the only thing she could think of.

"I love you…" she said quickly. Stefan turned around, and the look in Damon's eyes was unmistakeable pain. Taking advantage of his hesitancy, Elena gathered herself up and shuffled over to the brothers. "I came over here to tell Damon that it's always been you…" she whispered, caressing his cheek. "It's only ever going to be you…" she said quietly, putting her free hand on his shoulder. He nestled into her touch before growling at her.

"YOU'RE LYING!" he yelled in her face, startling her. She shook her head fiercely.

"I remember, Stefan. I remember how I loved you, how you loved me…but you don't have to _kill_ your own brother to have me. I'm already yours…" she whispered, gingerly taking his face in her hands and placing a light kiss on his lips.

"What about all that stuff you said in your bedroom? How you loved Damon? How you chose Damon?" he asked, tears running down his cheeks too. Elena shook her head fiercely, and swallowing deeply.

"I'm still only a teenage girl…I'm still human…" she whispered before looking at Stefan with more assertiveness, her eyes pleading him to listen. "But I know now, that there is no other option. No other choice. It's you. It's always been you, and it's always going to be you…"

"Let me get rid of him, then…" Stefan asked, a small smile on his lips. The immediate change in his demeanour scared Elena as she realized he could turn back to the monster he was moments before at any minute. "Let me rid us of this headache forever…"

"No…let's give him the pain and suffering of seeing who the good brother _really_ is…" she pleaded, trying everything in her power to save a seemingly unconscious Damon.

"Elena…" Damon barely coughed, from the corner of the room. Both gazes of Stefan and Elena immediately fell on the hurting body slumped in a large chair in the corner of the living room. At that moment, Elena's heart broke. Her heart broke for both vampires in the room, and prayed for some sort of miracle. The sight of Damon's blue eyes brought the adrenaline back to her body, causing her to do the only thing she could in that moment.

"Let me do it…" she whispered to Stefan, her hand gesturing for him to give her the stake. He looked at her questioningly, his eyes darting between his slowly healing brother and his brave love. "Let me kill him…" she asked again. Stefan bowed his head down and closed his eyes, as if listening to someone. Seconds later, Stefan looked up from his trance – his eyes shooting death.

"You're lying…" he growled, pulling his arm back in the air, about to plunge it into Damon's waiting chest.

Elena's instincts immediately took over, and she did the only thing she could think of. Before Stefan could plunge the stake into Damon's heart, she immediately threw her body on top of Damon's.

It all happened so fast.

Stefan didn't have time to retract the stake as he plunged it directly into Elena's heart.

White hot.

That's the only way to describe the horror and pain. It was worse than death. The room around her began to get hazy, before everything went dark.

"NO!" Damon cried out, catching Elena's dead body.

"No…" Stefan whispered, jumping backwards.

Damon slumped to the floor, a dead Elena in his arms. He quickly bit into his wrist, trying to force the blood down Elena's throat – but her airways were closed off. Her heart had stopped beating, her blood had stopped flowing – her life had stopped living.

"No no no no no no no no, no. Elena! Damn it, no!" Damon yelled, slamming his fist into the floor. He couldn't even bring himself to care about the blood literally pouring out of Elena's body. At that moment, Stefan and Damon stay silent in the room, not even bothering to feed on the blood. The only thing they could think of was the girl they had both loved, was laying lifeless. Just then, the front door of the boarding house came barrelling in. Damon didn't even both to look up from broken body of the girl he loved in his arms.

Before Damon or Stefan could blink, Stefan was on the floor with a stake in his stomach. Damon could hear Alaric's fast heartbeat as he crossed the room and pierced Stefan's skin in two places with two different vervain darts. Getting one good swipe in, Alaric kicked Stefan to the side of the room before turning his gaze towards his best friend – with the dead body of the girl he loved in his arms.

And for the first time – despite everything that they've been through – _this_ is the first time that Damon was broken.

**Initially when I was writing this chapter, I had **_**no**_** intentions of Elena dying but once I continued writing, I got the idea and went with it. I'm so happy with all the reviews I've gotten (after this chapter, it'll probably be mostly negative…) but I promise that you will not be disappointed! I would like at least 170 reviews before I continue (200 would be amazing too, but hey, whose counting?). What's a good story without any plot twists or cliff hangers? I've already finished the next chapter, it's just a matter of posting. Thank you so much, I love you all. Remember…170 reviews! (:**


	22. Chapter 22

It was worse than a nightmare. In a matter of hours, my world was turned upside down and inside out. It all happened so fast, I barely had time to react or breathe. Within a matter of minutes, Elena was pledging her undying love to Stefan as he attempted to kill me. Her saying those words to Stefan was enough to pull me under, and I didn't need Stefan to plunge the already bloodied stake into my heart. Stefan had already tortured me before the brunette walked in by piercing the stake into my chest and stomach, extracting the stake (which had gotten bloodier and bloodier each insert and excerpt). I looked at Elena from where I was laying on the ground, my blue eyes meeting her brown was for what I thought was going to be the last time. Ready to take the final blow to my heart, Stefan arched the stake behind his head and plunged it into my heart.

But it wasn't my heart he plunged the stake into. It was Elena's. it was Elena's beautifully pure, beating, human heart that the stake had killed. It was Elena who was dead. My trembling arms caught Elena as she fell to the floor. I was literally sitting in a pool of Elena's blood, with her broken and dead body limp in my arms. Alaric came barrelling in, two seconds late and paralyzed Stefan with vervain and a stake. And then – silence.

It felt as if every horrible, every horrendous, every frightening and unimaginable thing that had ever occurred in Mystic Falls – it was as if none of it compared to this. _This _was the loss of a lifetime…_this_…this was too much. I clutched Elena closer to my chest. In the back of my mind I suppose I was hoping that my love was strong enough to bring her back. But it wasn't enough…love was never enough. I raised my trembling hands and wrapped them around the bloody stake. Gripping it tightly, I pulled the stake out of her heart. I shifted Elena and I was cradling her like a baby.

"I'm so sorry Elena," I pleaded in her ear. "Please forgive me, it should have been me…I'm so, so sorry…" I whispered. "Please don't be gone…Elena, please!" I begged. I knew it was hopeless. Her heart had stopped beating the moment it made its first encounter with the bloody piece of wood. I brought my hand to her cheek, caressing it lightly.

"And maybe you're gonna be the one to save me. 'Cause after all, you're my wonderwall…"I hummed quietly in her ear. I flashed back to the first time I heard the song.

…

_I had just gotten back from picking up dinner for Elena and I. As I entered the Penthouse, I couldn't help but smile as Elena was dancing in the middle of the room, her hair whirling everywhere._

"_You know, he doesn't even tell you one time…he tells you like eight thousand, so if you ask me…that's false advertising" I stated, stepping into the threshold, setting the Chinese food on the table. Elena turned around and I could see her cheeks turn an adorable shade of pink, the shade of embarrassment. She quickly turned off the stereo and wrapped her arms around my waist, kissing me lightly on the lips._

"_Shut up, he's cute!" Elena squealed. I stepped out of her embrace, with a look of mock seriousness on my face._

"_You're in love, aren't you?" I asked, folding my arms across my chest. She giggled lightly._

"_I guess I am," she whispered, sneaking a wink at me._

"_He's a little young for you, don't you think?" I pressed, wrapping my arms around her waist, kissing her neck. _

"_Do you really wanna talk about how this makes me a pedophile Mr. I'm-in-love-with-a-human-who-is-like-150-years-younger-than-me?" Elena asked, twirling out of my arms and staring me down, folding her arms across her chest. _

"_Pssh, yeah well…I still don't like his music!" I retorted._

"_That's fine," she settled before wrapping her arms around my neck, pulling me down for a kiss."I guess we'll just have to have a different song…" she mumbled against my lips._

"_Wait – hold the phone…the Biebs was our song?" I asked. "I have to admit, I'm a little hurt not to mention embarrassed…" Elena rolled her eyes before speaking._

"_Oh come on, all the best love stories have a song!" she stated, smacking my shoulder playfully._

"_What makes you think we're a love story?" I mocked, taking a seat on the couch. She pursed her lips and cocked her eyebrow in question before taking a seat beside me, snuggling into my chest._

"_Because all the best love stories have one thing in common: they go against all odds to get there," she turned her head up to look at me. I kissed her forehead and Elena spoke again. "And we've beat all the odds that have been thrown at us…I'm not saying that we're destined to be together or that this is forever because well…forever has a way of changing things, but I'm just saying that as of right now…it feels like I'm in love for the first time, and if I decide not to become a vampire, and if I'm 90 years old and in my rocker and I'm telling my grandkids a love story, ours will be the first tale I tell…" she whispered, placing a light kiss on my neck._

_I'd be lying if the thought of spending eternity without Elena didn't scare me. Although I didn't say it, more than anything – forever is all I wanted with Elena. But if all I got were moments, I think I'd be okay with that too. And this moment, this was a moment worth remembering. I abruptly got up from the couch and headed towards the stereo._

"_What are you doing?" Elena asked, a small pout in her lips as she collapsed onto the space I was occupying only moments before._

"_The next song that comes on will be our song…" I said, turning the stereo knob spontaneously. Suddenly the Penthouse was blaring with Wannabe by the Spice Girls. Elena was giggling on the couch._

"_That's mine, Bonnie and Caroline's song…it was called for in the sixth grade…" Elena scolded slightly, a smile playing on her lips. I rolled my eyes and turned to the next song._

_Today is gonna be the day that they're gonna throw it back to you__  
><em>_By now you shoulda, somehow, realized what you gotta do__  
><em>_I don't believe that anybody feels the way I do about you now___

_Back beat, the word is on the street that the fire in your heart is out__  
><em>_I'm sure you've heard it all before but you never really had a doubt__  
><em>_I don't believe that anybody feels the way I do about you now_

_Elena's face was in awe as the song was playing. I walked over to where she was sitting on the couch and extended my hand to her. _

"_May I have this dance?" I asked, doing the eye thing I knew she loved. She looked between my hand and my eyes before slipping her hand into mine._

"_You may have all the dances, Mr. Salvatore," she said quietly. I laced our fingers together and led her in front of the large window that over looked New York City. I held her as close to me as dancing allowed, and we swayed to the soft melody playing in the background.___

_And all the roads we have to walk are winding__  
><em>_And all the lights that lead us there are blinding__  
><em>_There are many things that I would like to say to you__  
><em>_But I don't know how___

_Because maybe__  
><em>_You're gonna be the one that saves me__  
><em>_And after all__  
><em>_You're my wonderwall_

"_Am I your wonderwall?" Elena asked after the chorus was finished. I kissed her lightly on her soft lips before our foreheads were leaning against one another._

"_Elena – you have saved me in every way a person can be saved, you are most definitely my wonderwall…" I whispered just above her ear. She untangled herself from our dance's embrace and wrapped her arms fiercely around my neck, kissing me passionately. Suddenly, I picked Elena's small frame up and she wrapped her legs around my waist. I grabbed onto her back in an attempt to pull her closer as we zoomed into the bedroom. I lay her down on the bed and threw my shirt off. She giggled lightly._

"_What about dinner?" she asked, an innocent yet playful look on her face._

"_I'd much rather work up our appetites…" I teased, playing with the bottom of her shirt, allowing her to make the final call. Her hands moved to the zipper on my jeans before my lips crashed back onto hers hungrily._

"_I wasn't even that hungry anyway…" she said between kisses._

…

The tears were now falling freely from my face. I didn't even bother to look up at the expression of the other human not five feet from Elena and I.

"God, no…" I whispered to myself, kissing Elena's temple. I touched her forehead with mine and placed a light and gentle kiss on her still soft yet cold lips. "Ti amo…" I whispered onto Elena's lips. Just as I was about to move from the pool of blood from the floor, a gasp of air escaped from Elena's lips.

Her brown eyes flew open. Concern, confusion, disorientation and fear were all I could see in her eyes.

"Damon?" she coughed, clutching onto my shirt in an effort to steady her emotions.

"Elena?" I asked. I looked to Alaric for help only to see his eyebrows furrowed in a confused line. "Elena…" I repeated, this time without question and with a small level of conviction. She looked down and saw the blood we were lying in.

"Welcome back, Elena…" a voice said from the far wall of the Boarding House. Alaric, Elena and I all turned to look at the woman who had spoken only moments before. She was wearing a long white skirt and her shirt was a long-sleeved sage green blouse. Walking forward, she revealed to be wearing tall black boots and on the top of her head lay a sage green bonnet.

"Emily…" I breathed, clutching Elena closer to me. I saw Alaric's hands move to his back pocket, briefly revealing a vervain dart. Emily's eyes darted to Alaric and she smiled wryly.

"I would suggest you put that down before you hurt someone…" she said in a quiet yet menacing tone. Elena coughed again, bringing Emily back to the problem at hand.

"What the hell is going on?" I asked, my eyes darting between a barely conscious Stefan, a confused looking Alaric and a scared Elena. Emily raised her head slightly, her chin held high as she spoke.

"It is written that when a righteous human sheds unrighteous blood at the hands of a supernatural entity, they shall be brought back with the unconditional love of another…" she spoke with conviction, eyeing the space between Elena and I.

"Brought back? Brought back from where?" Elena asked.

"Brought back from the dead…but not fully alive I might add…" Emily spoke again, a small smile on her lips.

"What are you talking about?" Alaric spoke. Suddenly, Emily stood in front of Alaric and placed her index and middle finger on his forehead. He slumped to the ground. My eyes darted to Emily, confusion coursing through my body.

"Relax," she spoke. "He's fine, I've stopped his heart for a moment. I shall wake him in a few minutes…" she whispered before standing in front of all the blood. I gently picked Elena up and set her down on the chair behind me. It was then that I could see the amount of blood I was practically sitting in only minutes before.

"Don't take this personally, but if this is one of your parlour tricks…we're not interested…" I spoke, turning to Elena who was eyeing the blood with horror etched on her face.

"Damon, listen closely…tell me what you hear…" Emily whispered, folding her arms across her chest and looking at me like she was observing something. I hesitantly followed her instructions. I closed my eyes and strained to hear something – anything.

I could hear. I could hear the clock ticking, the wind howling, the leaves swaying together, a rabbit eating. Everything seemed normal.

And then it clicked.

Nothing was normal, everything was different. I turned to Elena, the look in her large brown eyes mirroring what I was feeling.

"I can't hear a heartbeat…" I announced quietly, turning to Emily for an explanation.

"She's in transition…" Emily said with clarity, her eyes never leaving Elena's the entire time she spoke.

**A/N: First of all, I want to say thank you so much for all the amazing reviews I got on the last chapter. This story has been really challenging and yet fun to write and every review makes it easier to make a chapter knowing I'm not writing for nothing. By the end of the last chapter, I knew I wanted to bring Elena back but I didn't know how so this chapter was sort of the set up for what all of this means. I'm sure you have a lot of questions about how she was brought back (that will be included in the next chapter)…I've dropped a few hints in this chapter, it'll be interesting to see if any of you picked up on it. I hope you enjoyed this chapter; I can't wait to read all the reviews (so please review!). Also, PLEASE check out my new story "Hanging by a Moment," please review that too! I love you all! **


	23. Chapter 23

It felt like every nerve in my body was on fire.

My hand flew to my chest. I couldn't feel my heart beat. Instantly, anxiety and panic washed over my body. Logically, I knew what was happening to me. I was becoming a vampire. I was becoming a creature of the night, a predator of humans. I was becoming the very thing I never wanted to be. But mentally and emotionally, I had no idea. It felt like every instinct in my body, every emotion, and every memory was suddenly rushing to the surface. I literally felt as if I had bottled every emotion I'd ever had, and if someone looked at me the wrong way I could rip their head off.

I had heard Stefan, Damon and Caroline talk to me about the feelings and emotions and what it did to your body – but it was a whole new experience feeling it firsthand. I felt like my body had become something entirely different from me. My mind was racing a thousand miles a minute, considering all the possibilities.

Suddenly, my mind landed on the events that led me to this impossible feeling.

_"I can't hear a heartbeat…" Damon announced quietly, turning to Emily for an explanation._

_"She's in transition…" Emily said with clarity, her eyes never leaving me the entire time she spoke._

"_What the hell are you talking about?" Emily opened her mouth to speak but Damon kept talking, now walking viciously back and forth across the length of two feet in front of me. It was obvious that even in his state of anger and confusion; I was still the one thing he was set on protecting. My eyes fell on a barely conscious Stefan who was struggling to lift himself off the ground; Alaric reacted by poisoning him with another vervain dart, just enough to allow Stefan to remain limp on the ground._

"_Do you wanna know how much blood I've fed Elena since the Klaus debacle? Zero. Zip. Zilch! So unless she sneaks down to the freezer in the middle of the night," Damon briefly turned on his heels to face me "which I'm assuming you haven't because you're human and you'd take chocolate over blood any day," he turned to Emily to continue. "And if you're insinuating that someone has compelled her to drink blood, not only would I have been able to smell it inside of her, but she wears a vervain necklace that not so Sainty Stefan gave to her so you –" Damon pointed his index finger at Emily "have got your facts mixed up!" he huffed. _

"_It is written that the blood of your true love can bring you back, no matter how small the amount…" Emily spoke, raising her head again. Damon rolled his eyes and growled._

"_What does that even mean? Did you not hear my big speech on how I didn't give Elena any of my blood?" he asked. _

"_Stefan repeatedly stabbed you with the stake before he accidentally pierced Elena's heart." Emily explained. Both Damon and I were silent but we exchanged a glance, and his look mirrored one of the many things I was feeling. Complete and utter confusion._

"_That wasn't even…that was like… pen ink…" Damon mumbled, eyeing the stake by the pool of my blood still on the floor. In the back of my mind I was wondering why I didn't want to mop up the floor with my tongue, but I suppose it was because I was too preoccupied with being damned with eternity to feel anything other than confusion._

"_Damon – you have yet again underestimated the power of love…" Emily spoke quietly with a small smirk on her lips. She raised her eyebrows incredulously before speaking again. "Elena – you have 23 hours to make the choice before your body starts to decay, and if you have not chosen by the 24__th__ hour – your body will be nothing but a pile of dust," she told me with absolutely no emotion. She snapped her fingers and just like that – she was gone. _

_Alaric had stayed silent throughout the entire conversation and he now let out a small cough, both of confusion and awkwardness. Stefan's eyelids were starting to open slightly, causing me to stumble backwards. If Damon hadn't caught me, I probably would've slipped on the blood that laced the floor._

"_Get him out of here…" Damon ordered to Alaric. He looked at Damon absolutely puzzled and then eyed the body that was Stefan's…_

"_Sure, it's not like I'm human or get back problems or anything…" Alaric mumbled, grabbing Stefan's wrists and pulling him towards the door leading downstairs. Suddenly, four people stumbled in through the door – smiles and laughter echoing from their mouths until they took in the sight before them. _

"_Oh –"Jeremy said._

"_My – "Bonnie continued._

"_Gosh –"Caroline finished. Tyler was the only one that remained calm and decided not to comment, but instead lifted Stefan's feet and assisted Alaric in bringing Stefan downstairs. Jeremy rushed towards Elena and wrapped her up in a tight hug before noticing the blood on her chest._

"_What the hell happened?" he asked, his eyes darting between the blood on the floor, a confused Damon and a dazed Elena. _

"_I…I…excuse me…" Caroline said, filing out the front door to get some air. I frowned slightly, wondering if I was going to be like that. Bonnie hesitantly shuffled forward before placing her hand on my forearm. I had seen her do this once before, with Caroline and I saw firsthand how cold and distant Bonnie had become with Caroline. I don't know what I would do if my relationship with Bonnie ended like that._

"_What are you doing that for?" Jeremy asked, confused – clearly not in his right mind to put the pieces together._

"_You're…you're still human…but not really…"Bonnie said, stumbling over her own words. "Someone tell me what is going on…now…" Bonnie ordered, looking at Damon. Her normally wide, warm brown eyes were now cold and in slits as she watched Damon struggle with an explanation._

"_Stefan was torturing Damon, I tried using reverse psychology, it didn't work. Stefan was about to kill Damon and I…" I began but somehow I couldn't put the words together._

"_Elena jumped in front of me…Stefan didn't have time to retract the stake…" Damon finished, placing his hand lightly on my shoulder._

_Suddenly, the room around me began to get hazy. The once clear conversation was now distant, almost like an echo._

"_Elena?" I heard Jeremy ask with alarm in his voice. "Elena!" he said again, panic taking over. I struggled with my eyes to keep them open – but the darkness won as I sank to the floor and letting the darkness consume me._

"Elena?" Damon whispered quietly, stroking my forehead with his hand. Despite the transition, my body still shuddered at his touch. Without thinking, I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him closer to me, placing a kiss on his jaw line. I could feel him relax in my arms and the instant comfort his body brought to mine was amazing. "Elena…" he repeated, this time with more relief and understanding.

It was almost as if I was afraid to open my mouth…afraid to move or even breathe. I didn't want to cause any arm to anyone – and I didn't even know how far into the transition I was. It took me a moment to take in my surroundings, and it wasn't until I realized I was on Damon's bed that I spoke.

"What happened?" I croaked out, my hand flying to my throat in confusion at the sound of my shaky voice. Damon gently took my hand and looked at me with his blue eyes showing such intensity; I thought I could feel my heart melt.

"You were an idiot, that's what happened…" Damon muttered. It was obvious that he was angry at me, and I immediately felt guilty. "You shouldn't have jumped in front of me, Elena."

I gave my head a light shake and then I looked at Damon to make sure I wasn't dreaming. Did I hear him just right? Is he actually angry at me for letting him live?

"Are we actually gonna do this right now?" I asked him, letting my inner thoughts be heard.

"You're becoming a vampire and you have nobody to blame but yourself!" he told me with gritted teeth. His eyebrows were furrowed together as he paced back and forth across the room, occasionally rubbing the back of his neck out of frustration.

"He would have killed you…" I reminded him.

"Yes, I'm aware of that but I've already lived…and you…you never wanted this!" he shouted at me. Even with my emotions running high, I somehow cowered into the pillows out of fear and anger.

"He. would. have. killed. you!" I shouted back at him.

"So why didn't you let him? After the way I screw things up left right and center, it probably would have been in the best interests of everybody to just let me die so you can get your happily-ever-after with Saint Stefan!" Damon ranted, throwing his hands up in the air.

"Why didn't I let him kill you?" I repeated, absolutely flabbergasted. It pained me to see how low of an opinion Damon must've had about himself to think that I would rather let him die than become a vampire.

"Yeah – oh that's right because you're a do-gooder who does nothing but sacrifice herself left right and centre!" he rambled, wearing a hole in the floor.

"No you asshole – it's because I love you!" I said suddenly. He stopped in his tracks to look at me. We didn't speak for a few minutes before I broke the silence with a new subject topic.

"What am I?" I asked suddenly. I watched from across the room as Damon's eyes widened. I would have laughed at how quickly he went from angry to concerned but I didn't have room to feel anything other than fear.

"You're almost a vampire…" Damon answered simply, folding his arms across his chest.

"Almost?" I asked. He nodded his head toward the nightstand where a blood bag lay with a bow around the top of it. I eyed him questioningly and he shrugged lightly.

"Caroline added the bow…" he mumbled. I nodded in acknowledgment and my insides suddenly felt a little bit warmer, knowing that Caroline still cares. I hesitantly picked up the blood bag with shaky hands and eyed it. I could feel the burn in my throat intensify as I shook the bag up and down, watching the red liquid go from one end of the plastic to the other. I swallowed back the hunger and forced myself to look at the blue eyes I knew were studying me.

"Sit down," I ordered patting the spot on the bed beside me. He looked at me questioningly before hesitantly sitting beside me on the bed. I took his hand but noticed that he did not relax at my touch like he normally did. "Before I do anything, I want to tell you why I came here tonight…" I began. Damon didn't say anything; he just nodded slightly and let me continue. "I came here to tell you that I forgive you," I whispered, bringing my hand up to touch his cheek. I could feel the strength it took to do that, my body obviously getting weaker.

"Drink it…" he ordered suddenly.

"What?" I asked, confused and slightly annoyed that he didn't let me finish.

"Drink it…" he ordered again, this time his voice layered with conviction. He literally shoved the bag into my hands and put his hand on my forehead before leaning it back to stroke my hair away from my face (that had begun to grow sticky with sweat). "Don't forgive me just yet…" Damon muttered. "I'm gonna beg and grovel and the whole nine yards – and I can't do that unless you drink the blood…" he gestured towards the bag.

"The whole nine yards huh?" I croaked. "If I do this – I'm yours forever and I'm a pain in the ass…ask Jeremy…" I continued, placing the bag on my lips.

"Oh believe me, I know…" Damon said with a smile. I tilted the bag and let the red liquid soothe my aching throat. I could feel my gums get pierced with fangs whilst I could feel the skin underneath my eyes transform.

But most of all – I felt myself coming out of my human shell and into my new life.

**I had a major, major, MAJOR, brain fart for this chapter. I'm sure Damon and Elena seem a little bit OOC, but that's only because I had to make my own spin on Elena becoming a vampire. Sorry it took so long to update, but like I said – brain fart (writer's block)…anyways, please read and review and please review my other story "Hanging by a Moment". I would like at least 200 reviews on this before I continue and at least 25 reviews on "Hanging by a Moment" before continuing. Thank you, I love you all! **


	24. Chapter 24

It was like nothing I'd ever felt before. It literally felt like every nerve and fibre in my body was on fire. Like I'd been lying still for days and my muscles and bones needed to move. It was like a blind man seeing the sun for the first time and a deaf man hearing the soft melodies of music. It was like a human falling in love for the first time. As the red liquid soothed my aching throat, I looked at Damon with new eyes.

I could see the way his shoulders tensed up when he was on edge about something. I could see the detail of his face. I could see the contours of his muscles through his tight black t-shirt. I could hear things from miles away. Everything was so much clearer. Finally, my eyes met his and I could see the way his blue eyes softened when he looked at me. I finished the blood bag and looked at Damon for some voice of comfort or encouragement. He said nothing. All he did was caress my cheek with his hand and place a light kiss on my lips.

"Hi." I whispered to Damon. He let out a genuine smile before replying.

"Hi," he whispered back.

"How do you feel?" Damon whispered. I couldn't think of anything to say so I settled for wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him on top of me. He returned my advance by placing his hands on my hips, pulling me up closer onto his body. My hands traced the plains of his chest through his shirt. After a short time of kissing (too short), Damon pried his lips from mine and lightly touched my forehead with his lips before leaning our foreheads on one another. "I guess that answers my question…" he muttered with a smirk. I frowned slightly.

"That…" I gestured between our nearly touching bodies with my hands, "does not even begin to answer your question…" I retorted before straightening ourselves up so I was leaning on the headboard. Damon rolled over to the other side of his bed and propped himself up on his elbow so he was facing me.

"Are you ready to face the mob downstairs?" Damon asked with a smirk. I couldn't help but smile at the thought of my friends and family downstairs, awaiting the news.

"Who's all here?" I asked.

"Uhm…" he thought for a second. "Vampire Barbie, Judgey and emotional Gilbert followed by Wolf-Boy came barrelling in just before you passed out…" he explained. I nodded, faintly remembering explaining what had happened to Jeremy, Caroline and Bonnie before fainting. "And Ric's here but he's downstairs…" Damon began.

"With Stefan," I finished. Damon nodded hesitantly before wrapping an arm around my shoulder and kissing my neck below my jaw line.

"Elena, I _promise_ that he will _never_ come that close to you ever again" Damon told me with conviction. I smiled and a sense of relief washed over me knowing that even despite everything, I could always count on Damon.

...

Elena and Damon shuffled downstairs, hand in hand to face everyone. Once they arrived on the stairs landing, five pairs of concerned eyes studied Elena. Elena twirled herself out of Damon's grasp and stepped forward to face the vampire, werewolf, witch, and two humans.

"Hi," she whispered.

"Hey!" Caroline said, a smile beaming from her face as she skipped forward and embraced her best friend in a tight-bear hug. Elena melted into Caroline's arm and inhaled, grateful for her dear friends love and support.

"Elena…is…is it still you?" Jeremy asked, hesitantly stepping forward. Elena couldn't help but allow the tears fall freely from her eyes at the sight of her close to broken brother. She couldn't say anything, so she settled for nodding her head fiercely in a yes gesture. He immediately enveloped her into his arms. The hug was similar when she was rescued from Rose, Trevor and Elijah. It was safe and normal, and the kind of hug only a brother could give to his sister.

Tyler was the next to step forward, awkwardly hugging Elena in a one armed hug. She couldn't help but let out a small chuckle at the feeling of the hug but smiled when she saw Caroline plant a kiss on his cheek and tugged him along to sit with her on the couch. Suddenly, as soon as Tyler backed away Bonnie wrapped her arms around Elena's neck and began crying profusely.

"Bonnie," Elena said with both a mixture of gratitude and appreciation. If Elena was being honest, she was most concerned about Bonnie's reaction. She remembered vividly the hostility and fear she harboured when Caroline was welcomed into this new life, and was worried beyond belief that her childhood best friend would never forgive Elena despite the dire circumstances prior to her transformation.

"You're my best friend, no matter what you are…" Bonnie whispered into Elena's ear, pulling her closer.

"Hey!" Caroline shouted for the second time that night with a huff. Bonnie and Elena both giggled as they opened their arms, gesturing for the blonde to join. Caroline beamed as she hopped off the couch and embraced her two best friends with a large smile. Elena's heart was so full of love for everyone in the room, she continued to let the tears fall. Bonnie and Caroline squeezed Elena harder, almost as if to offer the new vampire their love and strength.

They were interrupted by an awkward cough from Tyler and Jeremy who were seated on the floor, and Alaric who was standing beside Damon. Elena offered Alaric a small smile and he stepped forward and embraced her the way a father hugs his daughter. She took comfort in this small gesture.

"What are we going to do to celebrate?" Caroline asked excitedly, her eyes wandering towards the liquor parlour.

"Don't even _think_ about it…" Damon said, answering her un-asked question. She rolled her eyes and folded her arms across her chest and went to stand beside Elena.

"Elena, would _you_ like to have a few drinks?" Caroline asked Elena.

"Don't do that!" Damon ordered, instantly flashing in front of the two vampires.

"Don't do _what_?" Caroline shot back.

"Don't pull the Elena card – I hate that!" he mumbled, folding his arms across his chest as a sign of defence.

"Well it's the only card that _works!_" she retorted. Elena couldn't help but smile at this, and in response she laced her fingers through Damon's. He rolled his eyes as Elena wrapped her arms around Damon's waist and then muttered to the blonde.

"Fine. You can have one shot, but that's it!"

"One each?" Tyler shot up, his eyes widening with excitement.

"Ric, can't you take them out for ice cream or something?" Damon asked, earning the bird from his best friend. "No? Alright…" Damon muttered.

"How about we celebrate tomorrow? This is a lot to take in, and I just need a minute, I think…" Elena said quietly to the five people in the room, avoiding Damon's gaze.

"What about…" Damon shot Caroline a look and she rolled her eyes.

"What are you gonna do about He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?" Jeremy asked, his question directed towards Damon.

"Voldemort isn't here…" Caroline said then turned to Jeremy and noticed that he was talking to Damon. "Ohh, right. _That_ dark lord, my bad!" she said, her cheeks slightly flushed.

"Is she drunk already?" Damon asked, turning his head towards Bonnie and Elena. They both laughed and shook their heads.

"It's Caroline," Tyler explained and Damon nodded his head. Tyler got up off the floor and extended his head towards Elena. "I'm happy you're okay," he said with a smile. Elena wrapped her arms around her childhood friend and smiled.

"Thanks Tyler," she said quietly.

"Or leave without me, that's fine too…" Caroline mumbled, giving Elena a swift kiss on the cheek and a tight hug. "Text me!" she hollered to Elena, as she followed Tyler out the door. Jeremy got off the floor and laced his hand with Bonnie's, they both approached Elena. Jeremy wrapped his arms around his sister, and kissed her on the forehead.

"I love you, Elena. No matter what…" Jeremy said to Elena with conviction.

"I love you too Jer…no matter what," she said.

"Ric, you're driving…" Jeremy said.

"_Of course I am_…" Ric muttered, hugging Elena for the second time that night and then turned to Damon. "Here," he said reaching into his jacket pockets – emptying them. Damon and Elena both looked at him questioningly and he shrugged, a light blush on his cheeks. "You can never be too careful…" he said to Damon, leaving him with ten vervain darts.

"I'll call you tomorrow, okay?" Bonnie asked, tears threatening to spill over again. Elena nodded and then hugged her best friend. "Friends really are forever, eh?" Bonnie asked, trying to lighten the mood. "I guess me you and Caroline should have a girls night soon and change our pact…" Bonnie offered.

"Can I come?" Damon asked with a smile. Elena rolled her eyes and nudged him lightly in the elbow. "You never invite me…" he said with a pout, heading over to the couch.

"Sounds good, bye Bonnie!" Elena said with a smile as she shut the door behind her friends and family, finally getting alone time to take a breath.

…

"I thought they'd never leave…" Damon said, rolling his head back to emphasize his point. I took a deep breath, closing my eyes in hopes to pause life so I could catch my breath. Suddenly, a flash of cool air whisked by and I opened my eyes to be faced with Damon. "Are you okay?" he asked, concern lacing his voice.

"Forever…it's just a lot to take in, you know?" I asked.

"Yeah, I know what you mean…" he said, letting his voice grow distant. Elena wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him on the lips.

The kiss started out as slow and gentle but quickly turned hungry and passionate. Damon flashed them across the room and Elena found her back against the wall. She tangled her hands in his hair and he grabbed her hips in an attempt to bring her closer to him. Even in this new life, only Damon had the ability to ignite a fire in Elena's body. They broke the kiss apart, leaning their foreheads against one another. Elena opened her eyes to find herself faced with his ocean blue eyes. It didn't take long for their lips to be moving in perfect synchronization again.

Suddenly, they were in front of his huge four-poster bed, hungrily undressing eachother. Elena ran her hands over the planes of Damon's bare chest while his hands explored the sides of her perfect body, kissing her collarbone and jaw line.

Lying beneath the sheets with only their undergarments between them, Damon hovered over Elena, his hands supporting his weight while they gazed into each other's eyes.

"Elena?" he asked, breaking the silence. She looked up at him, her brown eyes wide and wondrous. "I've done so many things to hurt you…" he began. She shook her head and placed her index finger on his lips.

"I already told you its okay…" she whispered in a comforting tone. He shook his head defiantly.

"Please, just let me say this…" he asked. She took a deep breath, her eyes on him questioningly. "I've done so many things to hurt you…and you are _never_ going to know how sorry I am…" he whispered, and then reached underneath the pillow.

He opened his hand, revealing a small black, velvet box. "If you let me, I will spend the rest of eternity trying to make it up to you…" he whispered, opening the box to reveal a sapphire blue diamond in the middle of white diamonds, all resting on a silver band.

"Are you proposing to me?" she asked, tears running down her cheeks. He rolled his eyes and smirked at her.

"This ring…" he took it out of the box and held it up in front of Elena's brown eyes. "Can mean whatever you want it to mean. It can be a promise ring where I promise to always try to be the better man. It can be an engagement ring, where you still have time to back out of eternity. It can even be a friendship ring…with benefits though," he added as an afterthought. Elena started to giggle, and he couldn't help but laugh as well. She brought her hand up to caress his cheek, and she kissed him light on the lips.

"I'll let you decide what it means…" she whispered with a smile. He picked up her left hand and slid the ring down her ring finger and then kissed it.

"I've decided it means you're mine forever," he said, kissing her full on the lips. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him with as much passion as she could muster up. Damon and Elena spent the rest of the night exploring eachother, letting their feelings take them to places they never knew existed.

**I'm sorry it took so long for me to update! I had a huge writer's block for this chapter. I've decided that the story is only going to go on for another chapter or two unless I can come up with another twist that won't make you guys hate me! Please review! **

**P.S – Check out my other story "Hanging by a Moment", review that one too!**


	25. Chapter 25

**Epilogue Part I**

**ONE YEAR LATER (June)**

"I can't believe graduation is here already!" Caroline squealed as she put on her graduation cap. Tyler draped his arm over her shoulder and placed a light kiss on her cheek.

"It seems just like yesterday we were just a couple of horny freshman…" Tyler said. A low chuckle erupted from Matt.

"Freshman, sophomore, junior, senior…your hormone levels didn't change, dude!" Matt reminded him.

"Yeah, didn't you make out with Mrs. Donavon?" Bonnie asked. Matt rolled his eyes and Caroline put her finger to her lips, trying to tell Bonnie to be quiet.

"You guys are never gonna let me live that down are you?" Tyler asked, burying his face in Caroline's shoulder. Caroline smiled and kissed Tyler's forehead.

"Hey!" Elena said, towing Damon along by the hand. Their fingers were intertwined and the engagement ring was glistening underneath the lights in the drama room where the graduates were staying until the ceremony. A smile was evident on her features as she looked at her childhood friends.

"We were just reminiscing about the good old days…" Bonnie said with a smile, pulling Caroline into a tight hug.

"How is 'Kelly Donavon' a good old day memory?" Tyler asked, a frown on his face. Damon cocked his head back and let out a small laugh.

"Well first, from what I got from her – she's good…and she's old." Damon said, ticking the reasons of with his fingers – earning him a glare from Elena.

"What exactly did you get from her?" Elena asked, raising her eyebrows questioningly.

"Wait, wasn't that our double date night?" Caroline asked. "You, me, Matt and Stefan…" Caroline reminded Elena.

"Oh yeah…" Damon added in a mock tone, turning to his fiancé. "So I guess dating my brother totally trumps making out with Kelly Donavon…" he said with a smirk, knowing he'd won.

"Shut up," was all Elena could reply.

"I love when you talk dirty to me…" Damon teased, kissing her hair. She rolled her eyes at how quickly Damon could make her pissed off to happy, in just a matter of seconds.

"This is definitely not how I pictured my senior year…" Bonnie muttered, folding her arms across growing belly. Their small group in the room behind the stage erupted in a fit of laughter.

"Oh come on Bonnie, these robes allow lots of flow. You can't even tell you're pregnant!" Caroline said, looking at Elena for some help.

"Yeah," Elena piped up with a smile. "And besides, you aren't even that far along…"

"I'm far enough along that Jeremy has to suggest switching to maternity pants…" she huffed. Bonnie received the news that she was pregnant four months ago. She and Jeremy were absolutely ecstatic.

"Is it gonna be like a mutant-witch baby?" Damon asked, a smirk on his face. Bonnie narrowed her eyes and Damon's hands flew to his head, feeling a minor headache coming on. Elena stifled her laughter, rubbing Damon's back and turning to her best friend.

"You can't exert too much power, remember?" she reminded her.

"Yeah but still, it's a piece of cake…" Bonnie said, her eyes suddenly growing wide and a smile playing on her lips. "Ooh! Cake!" she said excitedly. Everyone erupted in a fit of laughter.

"_Would the graduating class of 2012 please make your way towards the auditorium now? Thank you." _The principal's voice boomed throughout the speakers in the school.

"Wait!" Caroline said. She began fanning her face as everyone could see the tears threatening to fall. "I just want to say that I love you all so much. We've been through _so_ much together these past three years, and it's been one hell of a ride. And I can't think of anyone else I would have wanted on this adventure with me…" Caroline choked out, before turning to Tyler and wiping her face on his robes.

"This isn't goodbye, Caroline…" Bonnie reminded her. Elena's eyes wandered to Damon who was standing behind her.

"Yeah…it's just the beginning," Elena said with conviction, her eyes never leaving Damon. Caroline shook her head and let out a small huff.

"Alright, let's go graduate!" Caroline said excitedly. Matt, Tyler, Caroline and Bonnie all filed out of the room.

"Are you coming?" Bonnie asked Elena. Elena looked between her best friend and Damon, and offered Bonnie a smile.

"Yeah, in a minute!" she said. Bonnie nodded and followed her friends before Elena turned to Damon.

Elena stood on her tip toes and wrapped her arms around Damon, burying her head in the crook of his neck, allowing a few tears to escape her eyes. He didn't say anything, he just held her tighter. After a moment of silence, he released her slightly and kissed her full on the lips with as much passion he could without earning a trip to the principal's office. "I love you brown eyes," he whispered on her lips before extending his hand out to her.

"By the way, feel free to mention how I rocked your world in your speech…" he added as they walked into the auditorium.

…

"Bonnie Bennett!"

The crowd erupted in a round of applause as she walked up the stage with a slight waddle due to her growing belly and accepted her diploma. She turned to the audience with a bright smile on her face, waving her diploma at everyone. Jeremy stood up from the crowd, clapping his hands fiercely, smiling ear to ear.

"_Joel Buckley…Kaitlyn Brown…Roger Bruins…Abby Coles…Sarah Danes…Clara Danes…_"

"Matt Donavon!"

"Caroline Forbes!"

Everyone in the auditorium clapped their hands together furiously. Elena and Bonnie cheered from their seats and even Damon offered his friend a clap. Her mother stood proudly, hugging Caroline's father next to her. Tyler was howling with the rest of his male friends, earning an eye roll from Caroline as she descended the stage stairs.

"Tyler Lockwood!"

All of his friends cheered, and Caroline blew him a kiss from her seat.

"_And last but not least, our Valedictorian for the graduating class of 2012…Elena Gilbert," _Elena walked up to the podium hesitantly.

"Have you ever read a good book or a good story, and when you're on the final chapter and the final page, you feel a sadness you can't explain?" Elena began.

"Sometimes if you're lucky – the story or book will have an epilogue or a sequel. I stand here before you, my fellow graduates to tell you that although the high school chapter in our lives has ended, the story is far from over."

"We are all still so young – we have time to fall in and out of love and to make mistakes. We still have the opportunity to fail and succeed and to change our minds like we change our underwear. There are tears of sadness running down some faces, why? This isn't the end. This is the beginning of something really, really amazing,"

"For some people, maybe it's college. Maybe it's your dream job. Maybe it's marrying the love of your life," Elena glanced at Damon in the audience when she said this. A wide smile spread across her face and she had to turn her attention back to the whole audience. "Or maybe it's starting a family with the one you love," she winked at Bonnie and Jeremy.

"Maybe it's finally accepting who you are, and not being afraid of who you could turn out to be," she offered a smile to Caroline and Tyler. Elena pursed her lips, contemplating what to say next.

"Just promise one thing. Don't forget what these four years brought to your life. Don't forget about the people that taught you all about friendship and bravery and courage. Don't forget about the smiles and frowns and laughter and tears and break ups and make ups. Don't run from your mistakes, learn from them, and embrace them…I wish you all the happiness in the world, I can't think of a group of people that deserve it more…"

Elena smiled and took off her cap, throwing it in the air. "Congratulations, WE DID IT!" she shouted with excitement, and the rest of the people threw their caps in the air.

…

**FIVE MONTHS LATER (December)**

"Well done, Gilbert…" Damon said, patting Jeremy on the shoulder. Bonnie leaned into Jeremy as they held their newborn daughter in their arms.

"She's so beautiful!" Elena gushed, counting the fingers on the baby.

"They all look the same to me…" Tyler said from behind Caroline. Caroline rolled her eyes and joined Elena in gushing over the baby. Jeremy got shuffled out of the way so he stood in the corner of Bonnie's hospital room with Alaric, Tyler and Damon.

"So what's the name?" Tyler asked generally. Jeremy and Bonnie exchanged a look and a wide smile spread across Bonnie's face.

"You guys look, it's officially midnight…" Alaric said, glancing at the clock on the wall. "Merry Christmas!" he said with a smile. Elena crossed the room and suddenly she was in Damon's arms. She wrapped her arms around his waist and earned a gentle yet passionate kiss from her fiancé. Tyler gave Caroline a light kiss on the lips, followed by Jeremy hugging his girlfriend and newborn daughter.

"Yeah, just let me hug my special someone…" Alaric turned to the empty space beside him and rolled his eyes."Oh wait…" he muttered. Damon chuckled and snuck up behind Alaric, giving him a bear hug and lifting him off the ground in the process, earning a laugh from everyone in the room.

"I officially hate Christmas…" Alaric mumbled, taking a seat in the vacant chair by the door. Damon faked a pout which Elena quickly turned upside down with a kiss.

"Do you mind? We have virgin eyes in the room!" Caroline huffed from the corner.

"Care, I think it's safe to say that none of our eyes are virgins…" Tyler scoffed, his eyes darting to the baby in Jeremy's arms. "Oh yeah, the baby. Virgin eyes, got it…" he muttered, slightly embarrassed.

"Yeah well unnamed baby better get used to it…" Damon muttered against Elena's hair.

"Actually, she isn't unnamed…" Jeremy said, eyeing Bonnie with a smile.

"Her name is Arianna Noelle Gilbert," Bonnie said proudly.

"Noelle?" Elena questioned.

"She should know she was a Christmas miracle, she deserves something good given all the craziness we're gonna have to raise her in," Jeremy explained.

"Pfft, what craziness?" Caroline said, flipping her hair over her shoulder.

"Oh goodness, let me think…" Damon pretended. "Oh I know! A witch for a mother," he turned to Bonnie. "No pun intended, take it whichever way you'd like. She has father who wears a magic ring, two vampire aunts, a vampire uncle, another werewolf uncle and then an average Joe grandfather. Yeah, I see the normalcy…"

"Fine, despite the craziness…I can't think of a baby that's going to be loved or protected more," Alaric offered. For the first time in what felt like forever, every head in the room nodded in agreement.

…

**FOUR MONTHS LATER (April)**

_Knock. Knock. Knock._

Elena put down the bridal magazine she was looking at and answered the door.

"Stefan," she breathed with both a mixture of surprise and fear in her voice. He gave her a small smile and Elena opened the door wider for him. "Come in," she asked with a smile. He hesitantly stepped over the threshold.

"How are you?" he asked sheepishly, avoiding her gaze. Elena folded her arms across her chest, her diamond engagement ring sparkling in the sun from the open door. Elena didn't say anything, knowing that he was going to look at her soon. She was right, soon enough Elena was faced with the familiar emerald green eyes she used to love so much.

"Did you really come here to ask me how I am?" Elena asked, narrowing her eyes in question.

"I came here to say I'm sorry," he admitted. "All of this…what happened to you…it shouldn't have gone down like that. I was out of my mind that night and I never got to apologize for what I did to you," he gestured towards Elena. Elena took a small step forward and wrapped her arms around Stefan's broad shoulders. He initially tensed at her touch and then relaxed, wrapping his arms lightly around Elena's waist.

"Thank you…" Elena whispered. "For giving me the best gift I could have ever asked for," she released him from her grip and placed her hands on either side of his shoulders. "If it weren't for you coming to town, I – I wouldn't…" Elena struggled for the words without sending Stefan off the deep end.

"You wouldn't have met Damon," he finished for her. She looked up at him, her eyes wide and apologetic. She shrugged her shoulders, an apologetic smile on her lips.

"I love him, Stefan…" Elena told him. "But you're right about one thing – it _shouldn't_ have gone down like that night. But I would be lying if I said I wasn't grateful," she admitted. "If that night taught me anything it's that you can't waste time. I realize now that no matter how much I want to strangle Damon half the time, I love him. And I don't want to waste the rest of eternity denying the inevitable…"

"Elena…are you happy?" he asked, cutting her off.

"I am, Stefan. I'm very happy…" she told him honestly. He nodded his head slightly in defeat before offering her a genuine yet pained smile.

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay for myself…I'm leaving town again. I'm thinking about heading over to Mexico. Lexi had some friends there; I thought I'd see what I find…" Stefan said.

"Stefan –" Elena interrupted. "Don't leave just yet. Damon's gonna be home soon, I know he'd like to see you…" she told him.

"I doubt it; I tried to kill him last time I was here…"

"You're Stefan and Damon. It'd be weird if you two didn't try to kill eachother at least once a decade," she said with a playful smile.

…

"Stefan," Damon choked out. Damon's blue eyes widened with both anger and surprise, and although he didn't want to admit it – a tinge of relief.

"Hey big brother…" Stefan offered with a small smile. Elena walked up to Damon and put her hand on his shoulder, he relaxed a bit at her touch.

"I'll be upstairs…be good," she warned Damon as she headed up the stairs.

"What are you doing here?" Damon asked, heading over to the parlour for a drink.

"I came to apologize to you and Elena…" Stefan admitted. Damon rolled his eyes and took a swig of bourbon straight from the bottle.

"_Oh,_ you wanted to _apologize_?" Damon's hand flew over his heart. "I'm touched, really I am…" he said sarcastically. "Well sorry pal, sorry isn't gonna justify trying to stake me but then missing and staking the human girl you used to have the hots for," Damon spat at his brother. He didn't even bother to care if Stefan was still dangerous. Although new, Damon knew Elena could hold her own if something happened.

"I understand why you hate me, but I came to make peace. Elena thought I should stay to see you…" Stefan admitted.

"She did?" Damon asked.

"Yeah, she thought you'd want to see me…" Stefan told him. Damon rolled his eyes at the vampire upstairs who no doubt was listening intently onto every word that was being said. "But clearly you don't… I'm sorry for all the trouble, tell Elena I say goodbye." Suddenly, Elena appeared at the bottom of the stairs. She raised her eyebrows at Damon and then smiled at him. A low growl erupted from Damon's throat as his resolve completely vanished with Elena's smile.

"Wait…" Damon said through clenched teeth, catching Stefan just as he was about to leave. Elena came up behind Damon, wrapping her arm around his waist. "I'm getting married, and as you know…Damon Salvatore doesn't do that kind of thing very often…"

"He also doesn't speak in first person, apparently…" Elena quipped.

"_Anyways_, it would…" Damon struggled. Elena rolled her brown eyes and smiled at Stefan.

"What Damon's _trying_ to say is that it would mean a lot to both of us if you could be there," Elena offered. Stefan nodded, his eyes glistening with tears that threatened to spill over.

"Thank you…" he whispered.

…

**ONE MONTH LATER (May)**

"Elena, you are seriously the most beautiful bride I have ever seen!" Caroline gushed as she finished spraying her brown hair with hair spray. "It's kind cool to, you know? It's like…_The Corpse Bride_, only you aren't a skeleton!" Caroline finished. Elena furrowed her eyebrows together in amusement and looked at Bonnie's reflection in the mirror, whose expression was the same as Elena's. Both girls started laughing, earning a squeal from the five month old baby in Bonnie's arms. "What?" Caroline huffed, eyeing her two best friends.

"Just something funny Arianna did…" Bonnie defended, offering a wink to Elena. "Elena, are you okay?" she asked, noticing her best friend's change in demeanour.

"I can't believe I'm getting married today…" Elena whispered in amazement.

"I just can't believe you're getting married before me…" Caroline said absentmindedly. Elena turned in her seat, gazing at Caroline with a confused look on her face. "No offence," Caroline added as an afterthought.

"None taken," Elena said as she rolled her eyes with a smile. "Hey…how different do you think our lives would have turned out if Stefan never came to town and none of this stuff ever happened?" she asked quietly. The room fell silent as all three girls pondered what their lives would have been like if the past three years hadn't happened.

"I…I can't…" Bonnie stuttered in amazement. "I can't imagine where I'd be if I wasn't a witch or if I wasn't with Jeremy or didn't have Arianna…"

"I'm drawing a blank," Caroline admitted. "God knows my relationship with Tyler has been anything but perfect but…I can't imagine being with someone else,"

"I can't even begin to explain the emptiness I just felt in the pit of my stomach at the thought of life without Damon…there's no world for me without him," Elena said with conviction. Both Bonnie and Caroline smiled at Elena, amazed by her love for the vampire. Their thoughts were interrupted when there was a light knock on the door. Jeremy poked his head in.

"We'll give you two a minute…" Bonnie said, standing up from the chair and following Caroline out with Arianna.

"You look beautiful, sis…" Jeremy breathed.

"Thank you," she said. They stared at eachother for a moment, each of them thinking the same thing as the other. Elena bowed her head down in defeat, stifling back a sniffle. Jeremy wrapped his arms around Elena's small frame and kissed her forehead lightly. "I wish they were here…" Elena breathed against her brother's tuxedo.

"Me too," Jeremy whispered.

"I mean…they were supposed to be here," Elena breathed. "Mom was supposed to cry at graduation. Aunt Jenna was supposed to squeal over you becoming a father. Daddy was supposed to walk me down the aisle; John was supposed to hate me for becoming a vampire. Isobel was supposed to hate Damon for marrying me!" she huffed.

"Don't kid yourself Elena…Mom was there at your graduation. Jenna was the special someone giving Ric an imaginary hug in that hospital room. Dad is gonna be holding your other arm when I walk you down that aisle, and John couldn't hate you – Damon, maybe, but not you. And Isobel…she probably does hate Damon…" Jeremy finished. Jeremy wiped the tears from his big sister's face and pulled her into another brotherly hug. "They're not here physically, Elena. But you're never alone…you still have me," Jeremy told her.

"I love you, Jer…" she whispered to her little brother.

"Ahem," someone coughed awkwardly, another head poking in the door. Alaric stepped in and smiled at Elena and Jeremy. "You guys alright?" he asked, looking at the only children he'd ever have.

"Yeah, we're just missing everybody…" Elena breathed. Alaric nodded, stuffing his hands in his pocket awkwardly. "How's Damon?" she asked with a smile. Alaric rolled his eyes and let out a small laugh.

"He can't wait to marry you that's for sure…" he muttered. Their thoughts were interrupted by a small cry from the hall outside the room.

"Uhh…that's my queue. I'll go take care of that and I'll be back, okay?" Jeremy asked Elena. She nodded and watched as her little brother left to take care of his daughter. Elena was distracted by Alaric pulling something out of his jacket pocket. In his hand was a silver bracelet with a sapphire blue diamond heart on it.

"What…what's this?" Elena asked, mesmerized by the way the silver shined in the light.

"Damon told me you're wearing the pin Jenna gave you for the Miss Mystic Falls dance."

"Yeah, it was my mom's…" Elena told him.

"Yeah well, the rule is _something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue_…" Alaric explained as he clasped the bracelet on Elena's right wrist. "This can be your something new and something blue, since your pin is old and borrowed…" Alaric explained.

"Jenna bought it in advance, a graduation gift… I completely forgot about it until I was going through some boxes at my place. She left it there; she didn't want you finding it ahead of time…"

"It's beautiful," Elena breathed. "Thank you," she said, wrapping her arms around Alaric. He hesitantly patted her on the back in response.

…

"I hate monkey suits!" Damon complained as he fixed his bow tie in the mirror. Stefan chuckled from the corner and turned Damon around, fixing the tie Damon messed up.

"It's your wedding day, you'd stand out like a monkey if you wore something different," Stefan reminded him.

"My wedding day," Damon scoffed.

"It's about time, eh?" Stefan joked.

"I've waited an eternity for Elena Gilbert," Damon admitted – not caring that he sounded like a high school girl. "Thank you, Stefan…" Damon added. He turned around to face his little brother, whose green eyes had widened in confusion.

"I never got to apologize for the eternity of misery and all that, and I never got to thank you for standing up for me today," Damon looked away, not wanting to look his brother in the eye. "It means a lot…" he added.

"Is Damon Salvatore getting soft?" Stefan asked, stepping back in mock amazement.

"I may be getting soft, but I could still kick your ass…" Damon muttered, rolling his eyes. Stefan cocked his head back and laughed before turning Damon around and offering him a brotherly hug like when they were human.

"Am I interrupting something?" Alaric asked, standing awkwardly in the doorway.

"What's up?" Stefan asked, looking at Alaric.

"Well, since I'm now the closest thing Elena has to a parent, I feel like it's my job to look out for her…and I've seen in all the movies that a certain speech is required from such a figure," Alaric said matter-of-factly. Alaric crossed the room and stood in front of the groom. Damon folded his arms across his chest, barely suppressing a smirk.

"Do go on…" Damon asked, Stefan almost doubling with laughter behind Ric.

"You could snap me like a twig if I say something wrong, so _I'm _just gonna say to treat her right because I can't think of someone who deserves it more," Alaric finished, looking at his shoes awkwardly. Damon patted Ric on the shoulder.

"I'm proud of you, finally learning whose boss!" Damon said proudly. Alaric rolled his eyes and turned around, following Damon out the door, hearing the music beginning to play.

"Oh and as I'm sure you've heard the ceremony is about to start…" he muttered as all three men filed out the door.

**I hope you enjoyed part one of the two part epilogue! I had a lot of ideas for where the characters and story could end up. The wedding will be included in the next chapter, but this is by far the longest chapter yet with over 4000 words, so I figured I'd keep you guys interested. If you want to see part two, I would like at least 220 reviews on the story! They mean so much to me you guys, I just want to know that you are actually enjoying it. Thank you so much, I love you all! **


	26. Chapter 26

The crowd waited patiently, smiling at Damon and his two best men, Stefan as Alaric – waiting for the ceremony to start.

The first person to come down the aisle was Bonnie, carrying Arianna. The bridesmaid dresses were a pale turquoise satin, strapless dress with a white bow tied at the front complete with silver heels. A small smile was placed across Bonnie's face as she carried her daughter down the aisle, throwing flowers side to side for Arianna. The whole crowd _awed_ when appropriate, earning a smile from the baby. Next was Caroline, walking down the aisle with a smile on her face, earning a wink from Tyler.

Suddenly, the whole crowd stood as the wedding march began. All eyes were on the back doors as they opened, revealing a smiling Elena.

There is no other way to describe the beauty that Elena emitted as she floated down the aisle like the angel she was. A wide smile etched on her face, her entire face glowing with happiness.

Her dress was pure white. It was tight around her torso, accentuating her every curve and then flowed down to her feet. There was a thin band of diamonds forming a belt just below her upper chest, allowing support. Her hair was curled and placed in a side ponytail, with a white rose placed just above her ear. Elena's makeup was very subtle, yet beautiful. Three shades of purple eye shadow masked her eyelids, darkest to lightest. Her lips were masked with lip gloss, and her cheeks were a very light shade of pink – giving her an extra glow.

But her smile is what tied her look together. I have never seen anything more beautiful in my entire life.

"Are you ready for this?" Stefan whispered, barely moving his lips. I felt a genuine smile fall across my face as Jeremy brought Elena closer to me.

"I've been ready forever," I said simply before stepping down and taking my bride.

I stepped down from the front of the aisle to meet Elena. Jeremy smiled at his sister, and you could see the tears threatening to spill over in Elena's big, beautiful brown eyes. Jeremy unloosened his grip on her arm and wrapped his sister in a warm embrace before placing Elena's soft hand in mine, and then taking his stance behind Alaric.

"You are so beautiful," I whispered honestly to Elena, so low only she could hear. She winked at me before turning her gaze towards the officiator.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to celebrate the joining of Elena Marie Gilbert and Damon James Salvatore in matrimony," he began. "Marriage is an eternal promise, a promise that should not be made lightly. I stand before you with this man and this woman, as they prepare to embark in arguably the most challenging adventure one can face, one that Damon and Elena have agreed to embark on together."

The officiator looked between Elena and I, before his eyes landing on Elena. "We now present the rings…" he began.

"I'd like to say something first," I said, interrupting the minister. He didn't say anything in response, he just gestured for me to continue. I took a deep breath and looked into Elena's glistening brown eyes.

"Anybody that knows anything about us knows that our relationship has been anything but simple. It's been complicated, confusing, all consuming. But above all, it's been real. I pity the people that go through their lives never finding someone that makes them feel like I feel when I'm with you. I find myself wondering sometimes if it's possible to love someone so much and then you walk into the room and I remember that it _is possible. _It's possible to love someone so much your heart aches from the immensity of your feelings. I feel like that, and it used to scare me but somewhere along the way, you taught me not to be afraid," I spoke with clarity.

"I can't promise that I'll be the perfect friend or the perfect lover or the perfect husband but I can promise that I will always put you first. I will never lie to you or take you for granted, and I promise that it'll be a cold day in hell before your warm and pure heart breaks at the expense of something I've done," I spoke with conviction. The officiator looked to Elena for her to say something. "Oh, and I love you," I quickly added before the officiator rolled his eyes.

The tears were now falling freely from Elena's brown eyes, as she smiled at me. I smiled back at her, amazed that this woman was about to become mine forever. She sniffled quietly before taking a deep breath and looked me in the eyes.

"Damon," she began. "I used to be terrified to break out of my comfort zone, to take a leap of faith, to move forward with my life. And then I met you, and without even knowing it – I was out of my comfort zone, I was taking giant leaps of faith and I was moving forward. And somewhere along the way, I wasn't afraid anymore because just knowing you would be there to catch me at the end of every day was enough for me," I gave Elena's hand a gentle squeeze as she continued. "God knows we've been to hell and back, but I wouldn't take any of it – the good or the bad – for the world. Damon, you are my best friend in the world, and I can't imagine spending my life with a funnier, honest, braver, sexier man. I love you, and I can't wait to see what forever has in store for us," Elena finished, a wide smile with glistening tears on her lips.

It took everything in me not to kiss her right there and forget about the order the ceremony was supposed to go in.

The officiator cleared his throat before speaking again. "Damon, will you have this woman to be your wedded wife, to love her, comfort her, honor her, and keep her, and forsaking all others, keep you only unto her, for all the days of your life?

"I do," I spoke with conviction – my eyes never leaving Elena's beautiful face.

"And will you Elena, have this man to be your wedded husband, to love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, and forsaking all others, keep you only unto him, as long as you both shall live?"

"I do," Elena said with a warm smile. The officiator said what each of us was to repeat, and I gazed at Elena with more love and affection I thought I could feel.

"I, Damon, take you, Elena, to be my wedded wife. I promise to have you and hold you through better and worse, through sickness and health, through richer and poorer. I promise to love you unconditionally until the end of time,"

"I, Elena, take you, Damon, to be my wedded husband. I promise to have you and hold you through better and worse, through sickness and health, through richer and poorer. I promise to love you unconditionally until the end of time," Elena promised.

"Do you have a ring for the bride?" the officiator asked. I turned to Stefan, who had a smile on his face as he handed me the ring I'd been waiting to give to the one I love forever. "Please place the ring on the bride's finger and repeat after me,"

I slid the ring onto Elena's ring finger effortlessly, and watched her features light up in awe as she gazed at the jewel. "With this ring, I thee wed."

"Do you have a ring for the groom?" the officiator asked. Elena turned around to Caroline, who had a wide smile and tears glistening down her face. "Place the ring on the groom's finger and repeat after me,"

Elena slid the silver band on my finger, never taking her eyes off of mine as she spoke with clarity. "With this ring, I thee wed."

"Let these rings serve as a reminder of your promise of love, affection and devotion to one another. By the authority invested in me by the state of Virginia, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Damon, you may now kiss your bride…"

Finally, those seven words I'd been waiting to hear since the day started were spoken. I gently cradled Elena's face, and kissed my first, last and only love.

…**.. ….. …..**

"Would everyone please clear the floor for the bride and groom's customary first dance," the D.J spoke. Two butlers pulled back the double doors leading into the ballroom of the Lockwood Mansion. Damon and Elena walked into the middle of the room, wide smiles plastered on each of their faces, their fingers intertwined with one another as they melted together as one in the middle of the dance floor.

With one hand on her back, and one arm around his shoulder, he cradled her free hand against his chest as they waited for the music to begin.

"What song did you pick?" Elena asked thoughtfully. Suddenly, the music started playing and a small laugh escaped from her lips. "I should have known," she said with a smile as she placed a kiss on his lips.

_Can you still see the heart of me?__  
><em>_All my agony fades away__  
><em>_when you hold me in your embrace___

_Don't tear me down for all I need__  
><em>_Make my heart a better place__  
><em>_Give me something I can believe__  
><em>_Don't tear me down__  
><em>_You've opened the door now, don't let it close_

"I love you," Damon told her honestly as he kissed her forehead. Once other couples made their way onto the dance floor, the custom way to hold eachother was no more as she wrapped her arms around Damon's neck, allowing him to wrap his arms around her waist. They were as close as possible, with only a little bit of air between them, swaying back and forth on the dance floor. Elena tightened her grip around his neck and inhaled deeply.

"I love you," she replied, a wide smile on her face. She stroked the back of his hair with her hand, her eyes closed in contentment.

"You really do look beautiful by the way…" he whispered, getting a soft giggle from her.

"So do you," she replied quickly. Damon pulled away slightly, a mock pout on his lips. Elena ran her thumb over his lips and leaned in to kiss him softly. "I meant handsome. You look handsome," she cleared up.

"I know," Damon replied, his signature smirk evident on his face. A new song begun to play, and Damon felt a light tap on his shoulder. He turned around to be faced with another pair of brown eyes.

"May I cut in?" Jeremy asked quietly. Damon looked at Elena and then rolled his eyes.

"Haven't even been married an hour yet and you're already meddling…" Damon muttered, walking away to the bar. Elena giggled as Jeremy led the dance.

_Can you imagine when this race is run,__  
><em>_Turning up our faces into the sun,__  
><em>_Praising our leaders getting in tune,__  
><em>_Music's played by the mad man___

_Forever young, I want to be forever young,__  
><em>_Do you really want to live forever?__  
><em>_Forever forever,__  
><em>_Forever young, I want to be forever young,__  
><em>_Do you really want to live forever?__  
><em>_Forever, forever_

"You did good today," Jeremy commented as they danced across the floor. "Mom and Dad would've been really proud of you…" he told her in all honesty.

"Jeremy…" Elena began. He pulled away so he could look at his sister. "I don't know how I would've gotten through any of this without you…" she started, her eyes glistening with tears again.

"We're family…you're my sister. We promised we'd always be there for eachother, remember? No matter what?" he prompted.

"No matter what," she promised with a smile, wrapping her arms around her brother in a sibling embrace.

…**.. ….. …..**

"I'm not really good with words…" Alaric said sheepishly, his eyes on the ground.

"You're a teacher!" Damon shouted from his seat beside Elena. She smacked him playfully, her eyes on Alaric as he debated what to see next.

"Alright fine," he spat back. "I haven't known Damon for very long…and believe me; I'm not complaining…" he added jokingly. "And we didn't exactly get off on the best of terms, but here we are some three years later, and I'm semi-proud to say that he is my best friend. Damon is not the type of guy that does things half ass. When he works, he works hard. When he's sad, he's depressed and when he loves, he loves fiercely…"

"I can't think of one person that didn't see the inevitable Damon and Elena relationship. I think it was obvious to everyone _but_ Damon and Elena. Damon didn't notice the way his ears perked up at the sound of her name or the way his eyes followed her every movement, even if it was just the flip of her hair or when he pissed her off, the flip of the bird…" Alaric added as an afterthought. Elena was blushing deeply now, laughing into Damon's chest.

"But in all seriousness, they've had their ups and downs but the bottom line is – when Elena was falling, Damon caught her and when Damon hit rock bottom, Elena brought him up. They bring out the best and worst in each other, and I think that's the best kind of love," Alaric raised his glass of champagne with a smile on his face. "To Damon and Elena, I wish you an eternity of happiness…" he said with a wink. Everyone raised their glass, cheering the new couple.

Bonnie handed Arianna to Jeremy with a smile and headed up to the microphone, her glass in hand. "Elena and I have been best friends since kindergarten…she had the 64-pack of crayons so it was an inevitable friendship. Over the years I've watched you go from the girl who thought everything through logically to the girl who finally followed her heart…" Bonnie began.

"From a distance, it was easy to see the instant, simple attraction between Damon and Elena but when you got to the relationship, it was anything but simple. What these two have, it is anything but simple. It's raw and complicated and painful and wonderful," Bonnie told everyone honestly. "And it's what I imagined being in love to be like," she said, shooting a smile towards Jeremy.

"I don't think I've ever seen two people more terribly in love with each other. Damon looks at Elena with the kind of passion and affection you watch in movies and Elena talks about Damon like he puts stars in the sky. It was only a matter of time before their worlds collided, making magic everywhere. Damon and Elena deserve all the happiness in the world, and I know your love is enough to last forever…" Bonnie said, winking at the happy couple and everyone cheering again.

Caroline bounced up to the microphone, a wide smile plastered on her face as she spoke. "Anybody who knows me knows that I'm not good with words unless I'm having like a totally epic moment, which at the moment, I'm not…" she said plainly. "So, I decided to sing a little song for the happy couple…" everyone in the audience was looking at each other strangely and Caroline huffed. "That's Damon and Elena's cue to go on the dance floor…" she prompted, raising her eyebrows, the annoyed look in her eyes.

Laughing, Damon and Elena stood in front of the stage in an embrace like their first dance. Nodding to the band, Caroline began to sing.

_What if I told you it was all meant to be?__  
><em>_Would you believe me, would you agree?__  
><em>_Its almost that feeling that we've met before so tell me that you dont think Im crazy when I tell your love is here and now.___

_A Moment like this.__  
><em>_Some people wait a lifetime for a moment like this.__  
><em>_Some people search forever for that one special kiss.__  
><em>_I cant believe its happening to me.__  
><em>_Some people wait a lifetime for a moment like this.___

_Everything changes, but beauty remains.__  
><em>_Something so tender I cant explain.__  
><em>_Well I may be dreaming but til I awake..Can we make the dream last forever?__  
><em>_And I'll cherish all the love we share for a moment like this.___

_Some people wait a lifetime for a moment like this.__  
><em>_Some people search forever for that one special kiss.__  
><em>_I cant believe its happening to me.__  
><em>_Some people wait a lifetime for a moment like this.___

_The speed of waiting love of all.__  
><em>_I wanna know that you will catch me when I fall.__  
><em>_So let me tell you this.__  
><em>_Some people wait a lifetime for a moment like this...___

_Some people search a lifetime for a moment like this.__  
><em>_Some people search forever for that one special kiss.__  
><em>_I cant believe its happening to me.__  
><em>_Some people wait a lifetime for a moment like this._

…**.. ….. …..**

After a night of dancing, laughter, smiles, tears, hellos and goodbyes, everyone waved goodbye to Damon and Elena as they hopped into the limo, and headed off to the airport. Elena leaned her head against the head rest before leaning into Damon. He wrapped his arm around her and kissed the top of her head softly. She dozed off for what she assumed was half an hour, and when she woke up they were at the airport, her eyes automatically drifting to the distance.

"Oooh - another mystery trip?" Elena asked with a smile, placing a kiss on his cheek.

"You know me, full of surprises…" he smirked, as a man opened the door. "Hey Jim!" Damon greeted, patting the man on the back.

"Hey Jim, it's nice to see you again!" Elena said, shaking his hand. He led the way towards the private jet and exchanged a few words with Damon. "He's not going to announce where we're going, is he?" she asked, lying down on the bed at the back of the plane.

"Nope," Damon said with a smirk as he lay down next to Elena. She threw her arm over his waist and snuggled into his chest, inhaling his scent. "Are you tired?" he asked, kissing her forehead.

"Yeah, but I don't wanna sleep…I just wanna lay here with you," she told him honestly.

"Is that a no to the mile-high club?" Damon asked playfully.

"I swear, one track mind…" she muttered, rolling her eyes. he began rubbing her back, and then stroking her hair.

"I'm only kidding, love. We're married now, I don't want to take your marriage virginity at the back of a plane, that's not very romantic…" he whispered quietly. Elena purred out of contentment, grabbing Damon's free hand and lacing it with hers.

"We made it, didn't we?" she whispered.

"Yes, we did."

"I love you, Damon Salvatore," Elena whispered with conviction.

"I love you, Elena Salvatore," he whispered back.

"I love the sound of that," she said with a smile. Damon and Elena left their conversation at that, falling asleep to the purring of the plane engine and the unnecessary breathing from each of them.

…**.. ….. …**

"Is this really necessary?" I asked Damon as he guided me up an elevator.

"Yes it is," he told her honestly, pressing a few buttons. She could hear the purr of the elevator and the movement of it moving upwards.

"This is ridiculous, I'm a vampire and I'm wearing a blindfold, and I still have no sense of direction as to where you're taking me!" she complained, stomping her foot lightly. The sudden ding of the elevator caused a small smile on her lips as Damon laced his hand through his.

"Come on, wifey, lighten up…" he said as he guided her through another set of doors. He loved keeping her in the dark (no pun intended) when it came to surprises. He turned the knob on a set of French double doors and left Elena standing in front of them. "Wait here," he told her.

Damon sauntered over to the back wall, drawing back the curtains. The sun was just beginning to rise where they were, lighting up the environment perfectly. He walked back to Elena, laced his hand through hers and then stood right behind her. Wrapping his arms around her waist and resting his head on her shoulders, he whispered lightly in her ear.

"You can take off the blindfold now…" he told her.

"You don't have to tell me twice," she mocked as her eyes flew to the piece of fabric tied around her eyes. Her brown eyes widened and a smile found itself across her face in amazement. "Damon…is this…" she began, not sure how to form words.

"Welcome to Paris…" he whispered in her ear.

_The End_

**I had so much fun writing this chapter. Thank you SO much for all the amazing reviews I've gotten on this story. You guys have really inspired me, and I so very much appreciate each and every review. Check out on my other stories (Hanging by a Moment is Delena centric), and I can't wait to hear from you guys on future projects. Please tell me what you think of the ending. I love you guys! Thanks for everything, xoxox.**


End file.
